Chris Mahoney Running

Training 2/6 to 2/12

2012-02-12T20:12:00.001-05:00

2/6 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Treadmill running at home. I felt awful this morning....I was dizzy, had blurred vision, felt nauseous, and had a splitting headache. I really thought I was getting a bad migraine or something. I didn't feel better till well after lunch, so I missed out on the great weather today. Maybe it was an after effect of watching the Patriots play like crap last night. At least I got in some running on the treadmill.

Congrats to my best friend Brian for having a great race up at the Frigid Fiver in Newburyport on Sunday. Keep up the running and good things will happen!

2/7 Tuesday: 10.5 miles in 80 minutes

I ran the Shawsheen River Trails to the trails behind Andover High and over to the West Parish Cemetery. Felt better as the run went on.

2/8 Wednesday: 10.4 miles in 68 minutes

I ran from Cedardale Health and Fitness in Bradford today. I was short on time but wanted to get in some miles. So the thought was I would head out for a run and if I felt good I would pick up the pace as I went. So the run was basically a long progression run over a very rolling course through Bradford and hitting part of the Bradford Valentine 5 mile course. The miles went by in 7:27, 6:50, 6:51, 6:33, 6:28, 6:22, 6:37, 6:18, 6:01, 5:38. Nothing blazing fast, but it felt good to be able to slowly increase the effort and increase the pace all while feeling pretty comfortable.

2/9 Thursday: 8.3 miles in 65 minutes

Easy on the Shawsheen River trails. I felt pretty beat today after the effort I put in yesterday. So I was sure to just run easy and enjoy getting outside.

2/10 Friday: AM: 4.4 miles in 35 minutes PM: 8.6 miles in 66 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home.

PM: Running along the Shawsheen River Trail. After the first few miles I started getting some twinges in my heel that were a bit concerning. It was the first hint of pain I have gotten in a long while. This was a very disappointing run for me and really left me wondering about the condition of me foot.

2/11 Saturday: Off

Took the day off to let the foot rest up. I am trying to be smart, an extra 4-5 miles today is not going to make a huge difference in the long run.

2/12 Sunday: 16 miles in 1 hour and 59 minutes

Ran the first 12 miles with the amazing, talented, and beautiful Heather. We ran over to Bradford and did the Bradford Valentines Race course. The foot was pretty well behaved and I got none of those twinges I got on Friday's run. I finished off my run with another 4 miles of easy running and got home with no pain. I did plenty of stretching after and then put some ice on the foot. Its tight....but no pain. I need to watch this thing and be sure I am continuing to do preventative maintenance.

Total Miles: 66.2

Despite the bad run on Friday afternoon and the missed day on Saturday, the week was not too bad. I got in a decent workout on Wednesday, a solid week of miles and the week ended with a decent long run. Next week should be about the same....but I think I will keep it all easy and keep a close eye on the foot.

Training 1/30 to 2/5

2012-02-05T14:12:00.000-05:00

1/30 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River Trails. My left hamstring is a bit tight today, it didn't hurt while running, but I will work on it a bit later.

1/31 Tuesday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 8 miles in 61 minutes

AM: Easy morning run on the treadmill. Hamstring is still tight.

PM: Easy running along the Shasheen River Trails to the trails behind Andover High School. The hamstring felt tight during the day, but did not trouble me too much during the run. Hopefully some stretching and massage will take care of this.

2/1 Wednesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Ran the Rattlesnake Hill loop today. All was well for the first half, then it started raining. Got a good soaking and was pretty cold by the time I finished up the run. Legs felt pretty good and the hamstring felt better today.

2/2 Thursday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 8 miles in 61 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home. Strength (push-ups, crunches, planks, lunges, etc)

PM: Ran along the Shawsheen River Trails. Felt a bit heavy today, but still strong if that makes any sense. Hamstring felt fine today.

2/3 Friday: 10+ miles in 76 minutes

Ran along the Shawsheen River trails, to the trails behind Andover High and over to the Bakers Meadow trails. The GPS read 10 miles total...bit it was giving me some very slow mile splits on some of the trails. I am figuring this run is closer to 10.2 miles or so.

2/4 Saturday: OFF

A planned day off. Went skiing with the family. Caitlyn is skiing so well and her little cousin Calleigh is making some amazing progress and rode the chairlift for the first time! Great day!

2/5 Sunday: 16.1 miles in 1 hour and 57 minutes

Awesome run today, I really felt relaxed and pace came easy. Picked it up a bit in the last few miles, nothing too fast, but high to mid 6 minute pace to close it out. Everything felt great while running, but the left foot (plantar) is aching a bit right now.

Total miles: 70.1

This is the best week of running I have had in almost a year. Getting in 70 miles and a day off in a week is solid for me. I even got in a few days of strength training. Next week should look similar to this week. I plan to stay at 70 miles a week for the next two weeks before taking a step down week before the Amherst 10 miler. This will give my body a chance to absorb all work and give it a chance to recover a bit.

GO PATRIOTS!!!

Training 1/23 to 1/29

2012-01-29T11:10:00.000-05:00

1/23 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill at home. Very boring.

1/24 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 71 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes

AM: An awesome day for running, there is noting like running in shorts in January. Ran the Rattlesnake Hill Loop with Scott McGrath. I had a really good run and felt strong. Must have been Scott's recap of him winning the Derry Prep 16 Miler over the weekend that had me all pumped up. We also ran into new CMS team member Nate Jenkins who was out there pounding out the miles on the roads of Andover.

PM: Easy running around Haverhill

1/25 Wednesday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River Trails. Stepped in a pile of crap today.....not cool.

1/26 Thursday: 8.2 miles in 62 minutes

Shawsheen River trails to Andover High and a short loop on the trails behind the school. Felt a bit slow and heavy today. Almost time for a day off.

1/27 Friday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill at home. I was planning to double today but the day got crazy and the weather was bad. So today will be my "off"/easy day. I will run tomorrow instead of taking it off.

1/28 Saturday: 8.5 miles in 61 minutes

Ran out towards Crystal Lake in Haverhill. I did the first few miles with Heather, we even got chased by a wiener dog.. too funny. Then I was on my own. I picked it up on the way back home and turned the run into an impromptu progression run the last 3.5 miles went 6:59, 6:33, 6:08, and a 2:48 (5:36 pace) last half mile. It felt good! I feel like I am heading in the right direction.

1/29 Sunday: 14.5 miles in 1 hour 45 minutes (MAP)

Overall I am very happy with this run. I kept the pace very even throughout the run and I felt comfortable and relaxed almost the whole way. I tried out a new loop today over through Bradford and Groveland and back by Kenoza lake. A little bit of urban running and some country running. I liked it.

Total Miles: 66.2

Another good consistent week of running. The mileage is going up slowly and the long run is getting a bit longer. Most important is I am still healthy. I even started getting in some strength training this week. More of the same to come in the next few weeks. Four weeks till the Amherst 10 miler!

Training 1/16 to 1/22

2012-01-22T19:14:00.000-05:00

1/16 Monday: 8.1 miles in 61 minutes

Easy treadmill running at home. I actually felt pretty good today. I stayed inside today because the cold really seemed to do a number on me yesterday.

1/17 Tuesday: 10 miles in 72 minutes

Ran the Rattlesnake Hill loop. I felt heavy and tight, but the pace overall was decent. Great day out there for a run! The warmer weather was nice.

1/18 Wednesday: AM: 10 miles in 77 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes

AM: Ran with CMS stud and recent New England Runner cover man Scott McGrath. We ran the trails along the Shawsheen River, behind Andover High, and around the pond at Bakers Meadow. Had a pretty solid run and some great talk about all things running.

PM: Easy running on the treadmill at home

1/19 Thursday: 8.3 miles in 63 minutes

Another day on the Shawsheen River Trails. Felt really good today, my right calf is a bit tight but everything else felt pretty good.

1/20 Friday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails in the snow. With 1-2 inches of snow on the ground this was an awesome run on the trails.

1/21 Saturday: OFF

A planned day off from running. I spent the day skiing with my Dad, Brother, Niece, and Daughter at Bretton Woods. It was cold, but the lack of wind made it a great day to be outside.

1/22 Sunday: 14 miles in 100 minutes

What an awesome morning for running! Temps were cool, but there was barely a wind and the sun was shinning! I felt really solid today, never felt all that tired, or like I was working to much at all. I picked it up a bit in the last three miles going 6:49, 6:31, and 5:56 to finish up nice and strong.

Total Miles: 62.4

A very solid week of running. I was very happy with getting in just over 60 miles and getting one day off from running. The day off is really giving me a day to recover from the pounding of running. Next week should look pretty similar to this week. The goal is to be over 60 miles for the week and try to get in a day off.

Training 1/9 to 1/15

2012-01-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

1/9 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River Trails. This is part of the AVIS trail system in Andover. I felt okay today, a bit tired from yesterdays longer run, but overall it was as I expected.

1/10 Tuesday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 8 miles in 64 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home.

PM: Shawsheen River Trails very slowly. Felt a bit tired so I took it real easy.

1/11 Wednesday: 7.5 miles in 57 minutes

Another day along the Shawsheen River Trails. I hope its not my last this winter. Snow is in the forecast for tonight! I hope we get rain.....the trails are helping to keep me healthy.

1/12 Thursday: 7.3 miles in 53 minutes

Running on the treadmill at home. Boring. At least we got mostly rain and not snow down here. Keep it in the mountains!

1/13 Friday: AM: 4.2 miles in 34 minutes PM: 5.3 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home. Not going to run in the cold rain

PM: Easy running on the treadmill at home. Dark and windy....I will stay inside.

1/14 Saturday: OFF

Planned day off. I spent the day in NH celebrating my Dad's 60th birthday. Happy birthday Dad!

1/15 Sunday: 12 miles in 87 minutes

Cold as all hell out there!! I must have had on like 15 pounds of clothes to keep me warm. Started out very easy and finished up strong. Last three miles were sub 7 minute pace, the last mile was a 6:27. I also saw the legend Craig Fram out there putting in the miles. He was moving faster than I was!

Total Miles: 56.3

A very solid week of running with one day completely off. The foot is feeling pretty good and I am starting to feel like I and getting in better shape. I just have to keep it going!

Training 1/2 to 1/8

2012-01-07T18:31:00.001-05:00

1/2 Monday: OFF

Went skiing at Bradford ski area with my daughter Caityln. It was a great time!

1/3 Tuesday: 8.2 miles in 60 minutes

Ran the Shawsheen River Trails in Andover. Felt pretty good and being able to get into the trails in January is great!

1/4 Wednesday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 7 miles in 53 minutes

AM: Easy treadmill running. It was too cold to venture outside.

PM: More of the same...easy treadmill running. This was my first double in a very long time. The foot seemed pretty good with it.

1/5 Thursday: 8.5 miles in 62 minutes

Easy running from the Whirlaway with CMS teammate Mike Quintal. Great night for running and the foot felt really good.

1/6 Friday: 8 miles in 64 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails. Great running weather out there. Very slow going though. I needed a real easy day.

1/7 Saturday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Very easy treadmill running very early in the morning. Then it was off to Bretton Woods for some skiing with my favorite little skier.

1/8 Sunday: 12 miles in 87 minutes

Great day for a run! Started out nice and easy and finished up with my last three miles under 7 minute pace. All while feeling very relaxed. The foot even felt good today, barely even thought about it the whole run.

Total Miles: 51.7 + 2 days of skiing

I am very happy with this first week of 2012. The mileage wasn't high, the runs were not fast, but the foot was well behaved and I got in all the running I planned on. Goals for the rest of January: 1. Keep healthy and keep working on the foot to maintain pain free running. 2. Consistency in training, run 50+ miles a week for the rest of January working up to 60 miles a week. 3. Start some kind of strength training, 2-3 times a week. If anyone has a great strength program for endurance athletes please let me know!

Training 12/26 to 1/1

2012-01-01T11:31:00.000-05:00

12/26 Monday: OFF

12/27 Tuesday: 8 miles in 57 minutes

Easy running out to Crystal Lake.

12/28 Wednesday: 9 miles in 68 minutes

Exploring the Bradford rail trail as it continues along the river beyond the official section. felt pretty good.

12/29 Thursday: 8.5 in 60 minutes

Easy running over to Winnekenni and back. Got in a few miles on the trails.

12/30 Friday: 7 miles in 53 minutes

Easy running with Heather on the Windham Rail Trail. Went pretty easy because I am going to race tomorrow......thats right race.....or at least try to race.

12/31 Saturday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Went to the BU open indoor track meet in Boston. The idea was to check to see if my foot could handle racing and see how bad a shape I am in. I entered the 3k with an optimistic seed time of 9:20 (5:00 min pace). The race went exactly to plan through the mile (4:59) then it all feel apart and I came home in (9:38). A full 51 seconds slower than I ran last year at this same exact time. I still left BU with a smile because I had absolutely no pain in my foot at all! The bad news is that I am in aweful shape and really need to put in some miles to get ready for 2012.

1/1 Sunday: OFF

Recovery from racing and celebrating Heathers birthday....and the new year.

Total Miles: 42.5

More miles than last week. Had a really slow race, but the foot didn't hurt at all! Things are looking a little bit better on the running front.

Training 12/19 to 12/25

2011-12-25T11:15:00.003-05:00

12/19 Monday: OFF

12/20 Tuesday: 8.5 miles in 62 minutes

Easy running on the Windham Rail Trail with Jim Johnson. Great run and some good conversation about the upcoming running year.

12/21 Wednesday: 6 miles in 45 minutes

Easy running in Haverhill

12/22 Thursday: Hiking

Hiked Mt Tom, Field, and Willey. Three 4000 foot peaks nagged for the winter 4000 footer list. Temps were really nice, but it was windy and there were no views to be had. I moved very fast jogging most of the flat to moderate sections of trail. wore Micro-Spikes the whole way because it was very icy.

12/23 Friday: Hiking

Hiked Mt Tecumseh in the morning. Another winter 4000 foot peak. Snowed about 6 inches the night before, so the woods and trails looked awesome! Great hike, I moved really fast and ran most of the way back down.

12/24 Saturday: 8 miles in 56 minutes

Easy running around Haverhill. Legs felt pretty good considering I hiked the last two days.

12/25 Sunday: 8 miles in 58 minutes

Christmas!!! Ran over to Winnekenni and back. Tried to help rescue a little pomeranian that was running in traffic and the thing bit me!!! Broke the skin too!! so I had to wait for the cops to show up to help catch the dog and take my information. Good news is the dog had all its shoots....so I don't have rabies.

Total miles: 30.5

More miles than last week.

Training 12/12 to 12/18

2011-12-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

12/16 Friday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails

12/17 Saturday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Easy running on the Flat loop in Haverhill

12/18 Sunday: 6 in 41 minutes

Easy running till last two miles 6:27, 5:32. Felt pretty good dropping the pace down

Total Miles: 18

Craptastic week of running. At least the time off made my foot feel better.

Training 12/5 to 12/11

2011-12-10T14:24:00.005-05:00

12/5 Monday: OFF

12/6 Tuesday: OFF

12/7 Wednesday: OFF

A few days off in a row.....a combination of work, weather, daddy responsibilities, and a foot that is suddenly very sore led to this. The foot seems to go in cycles....some days it feels good....others it feels pretty bad. I hope its all just part of the healing process.

12/8 Thursday: 7 miles

Another day of running along the Shawsheen River trails. Foot feels ok today...and then legs are fresh. A few days off did the body good!

12/9 Friday: 8 miles

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails. I am going to keep hitting the trails as long as the weather allows.

12/10 Saturday: 8 miles in 52 minutes

Ran over to Winnekenni from the house and got a couple miles on the trails. Felt pretty good today, foot just a touch tight. Did some stretching and rolled the foot after. I need to keep on this.

12/11 Sunday: OFF

Total miles: 23

Training 11/28 to 12/4

2011-12-03T20:51:00.001-05:00

11/28 Monday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails. Feeling a bit sluggish today, not a surprise after the jump in miles last week and the long run yesterday.

11/29 Tuesday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Treadmill running at home as I did not have a chance to get outside during the day. Felt OK for most of the run, but the last two miles were a bit tough. Still adjusting to the increase in mileage.

11/30 Wednesday: 10 miles in 77 minutes

Ran the Shawsheen River trails out to Andover High then more trails out towards Bakers Meadow. A solid run today.

12/1 Thursday: 7 miles in 55 minutes

Ran the Shawsheen River trails. Felt a bit heavy and slow, but it was still nice to get outside!

12/2 Friday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

Another easy day of running along the Shawsheen River trails. The foot is achy, its time for a day off.

12/3 Saturday: OFF

Spent my off day hiking in the whites! Hiked Eisenhower, my 48th and final NH 4000 footer! We had an awesome day for the hike. Cool, sunny, no wind and unlimited visability. I could not have asked for a better day!

12/4 Sunday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

The legs were a bit sore and heavy after a week of running and then my hike yesterday. I wanted to go longer, but I decided to play it smart and just get in some miles. The foot is also a bit sore after hiking on it.

Total Miles: 46 + 6.5 hiking

A solid week this week. I have to continue to be consistent and get out the door, while also being smart and listening to my body. Easier said then done.

Update and Training 11/21 to 11/27

2011-11-27T11:05:00.001-05:00

Its been a long time since my last post. Its hard to write or talk about running when your not running much and when you do actually run its slow, painful, and discouraging. A quick update on the Plantar Fasciitis issue, about 5 weeks ago after lots of time off, again, I went to see another foot specialist, got x-rays, and a physical examination of the foot. He determined that yes it was Plantar Fasciitis, no other issues, and there seemed to be a lot of scar tissue in the heel area. I guess running and racing on it for 5 months will cause some damage! He felt that I was healing well and that getting back to running shouldn't hurt it anymore at this point. As long as I take it easy and ease back into it. I also was told to continue with the stretching and exercises. One tool I have found very helpful was something called the footlog. Check it out if you are having foot issues. So about 5 weeks ago I started back running very easy and taking lots of days off. The last three weeks have been 28-30 miles with 1 or two days off. This week I stepped it up a bit more and decided to start blogging again. The foot has been OK so far, no pain, but still doesn't feel quite right yet.....still plenty of tightness and some aches, but I can deal with that. I hope this is the start of a great winter of training....only time will tell!

11/21 Monday: 8 miles in 59 minutes

Shawsheen River trails in Andover.

11/22 Tuesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Ran over to the Bradford section of town. Ran the new "rail trail" and did the Bradford Valentines 6k loop. Bonked pretty good at about 9 miles. Otherwise it was a good run.

11/23 Wednesday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill. It was cold,wet, and windy outside. Thankful for the treadmill today!

11/24 Thursday: OFF

A day to visit family and eat lots off food!

11/25 Friday: 7 miles in 55 minutes

Easy running with Heather. Nice and slow today, feeling pretty sluggish after eating my face off yesterday and stuffing myself with a large breakfast this morning.

11/26 Saturday: 7 miles in 50 minutes

Easy running, did 4 x 20 sec strides towards the end of the run. Felt OK overall.

11/27 Sunday: 12 miles in 89 minutes

The run felt good! Unfortunately I am sick!

Total Miles: 51

Biggest week in a very long time!

Training 10/3 to 10/6

2011-10-04T20:37:00.003-04:00

10/3 Monday: OFF

A day off after two days in a row.

10/4 Tuesday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running from Cedardale in Haverhill. Felt good on the run, but the foot was pretty achy and a bit more than I would have liked. We will see how it feels tomorrow.

Training 9/26 to 10/2

2011-10-02T12:20:00.001-04:00

9/26 Monday: OFF

9/27 Tuesday: 6 miles in 46 minutes

Easy running in Andover. Foot felt a bit tight in the heel and ankle area. No pain, but not comfortable either.

9/28 Wednesday: OFF

PT at Off Season Sports and Physical Therapy. Treatment is going well!

9/29 Thursday: 10.3 miles in 73 minutes

Ran With Jim Johnson and Emery Bickford from Jim's house. Did a loop that went up and over Spicket Hill.....and it was a pretty good hill! The run got interesting when it started to thunder and lightning and the skies opened up. Overall it was a great run and the kick in the ass I really needed. It was great to get out there and run with some other guys and it got me excited to get back out there racing. Next time I will get a few of those town lines!

9/30 Friday: OFF

10/1 Saturday: 8 miles in 64 minutes

Was going to go over the Winnekenni to catch the USATFNE 25k trail Championships, but 7am came way too early. So I went over to Lowell to watch Heather race 5k at Jennifer's Run. I warmed up with Heather and then ran around the course to cheer on those racing. Heather ran well and got second place! I finished up cooling down with Heather, her sister Emily and the Fallon's. Got in a total of 8 miles......the foot felt pretty good. I will take it!

10/2 Sunday: 6 miles in 49 minutes

Very easy running with Heather. It was my first back to back day of running since taking time off. I felt really slow and heavy, but the foot felt alright.

Total Miles: 30.3

Not a bad week of running. The foot seems to be holding up OK. Its not 100% yet, but I feel like it is heading in that direction. I will keep bringing up the milage slowly, as long as the foot feels good.

Training 9/19 to 9/25

2011-09-25T18:38:00.000-04:00

Monday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River Trails. The foot felt pretty good on the run, but I got some soreness after the run in my arch area. The heel area was fine....no pain, no soreness.

Tuesday: OFF

Went to my physical therapy appointment at Off Season Sports and Physical Therapy today. Got the usual treatment, heat, ultrasound, massage, graston, active release, stretching and strength exercises, then some ice and electric stimulation.

Wednesday: 5 miles in 39 minutes

Easy running in Andover. Hit the trails along the Shawsheen River again. Felt ok today. The foots seems to feel fine while running. No Pain, just a bit of tightness.

Thursday: OFF

Friday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Easy running in Andover. Felt pretty sluggish at first, but much better in the last mile or so. Foot is still holding up OK for now.

Saturday: OFF

Went down to Canton, MA with Heather and my daughter Caitlyn for the Life is Good Festival. Had a great time and caught some awesome music.

Sunday: 7 miles in 51 minutes

My longest run since I have started running again. Felt pretty sluggish today. Probably due to a long day yesterday of walking and standing around. My foot felt ok, I am still getting a bit of tightness, but still no pain. Dropped a sub 7 minute mile (6:55) in my last mile. Lots of work to be done still.

Total Miles: 22

Training 9/12 to 9/18

2011-09-18T16:54:00.000-04:00

9/12 Monday: OFF

9/13 Tuesday: OFF

9/14 Wednesday: OFF

9/15 Thursday: 3.2 miles in 26 minutes

This was my first run in almost 7 weeks. I had been suffering through plantar fasciitis issues since February and I have been in physical therapy for about 4 months. In the 7 weeks I have been off from running my foot has made a lot of progress and the last couple weeks I have been almost pain free. I decided that it was time to test it out and see how it felt on an easy run. Well, it actually felt pretty good! I has some stiffness and some aches in the heel and arch area, but no pain! We will have to see how it feels later tonight and tomorrow, but I am optimistic. Just have to take it slow and not push it!

9/16 Friday: OFF

No running today. Foot felt a touch sore, and I expected that, but I had no pain. I will take that as a good sign. Will give it another go tomorrow!

9/17 Saturday: 4 miles in 30 minutes

Easy running in Haverhill. The foot felt alright, more of the same with some very slight soreness in the foot and arch area. No pain in the heel. I will take it!

9/18 Sunday: OFF

Day off from running. Went over to the Bob Laprel 4 Mile Road Race to watch Heather run. She did not disappoint, running a great race to take first place! Results

Total Miles: 7.2

Its a start.....lots of work to do. Still need to be very careful and be aware of how the foot is doing. Going to take things pretty slow and make sure I come back healthy.

Time Off

2011-08-15T20:51:00.006-04:00

I have not run since July 30th at the Carver Road Race. My plantar fasciitis issues have really taken its toll on me both physically and mentally. After 7 months of struggling with this I have decided to take some time totally off and let my foot heal completely before I try running again. I am continuing to go to physical therapy and stretching and icing at home. I thought the new quote above was great and really reflected how many of us have felt at some time during our running careers.

2011 Beach to Beacon 10k Mens Champion Micha Kogo (3) and second place Lucas Rotich (7)

2011 Beach to Beacon 10k Womens Champion Aheza Kiros.

Beach to Beacon 10k

2011-08-06T16:45:00.006-04:00

Rest, Recovery, and some fun!

2011-06-30T20:19:00.014-04:00

Since the USATFNE track 10k I have taken some time off to rest and recover a bit. I have been suffering through some plantar fasciitis issues and running 9 races over an 8 week period did not help things. The 10k on the track was really pushing things as it was one week after a half marathon and the foot had been hurting a lot. I felt awful during the 10k and the foot was killing both during and after the race. I had started going to Off Season Sports and Physical Therapy for treatment and I figured taking some down time could only help the healing.

So what have I been up to?

On the weekend of 18th and 19th I got outside and enjoyed the great weather. On Saturday I went down to Wampatuck State Park to get in some mountain biking with my brother Ryan. It was a blast! We had a great ride and the trails in there were awesome! It had been way too long since I had been out there on my bike. Its something I need to do more often.

On Sunday we headed up to NH to go hiking. Heather, my daughter Caitlyn and I hiked Mt Kearsarge. We had an awesome day and I was very proud of how well Caitlyn did! The best part is.....she loved it!

The next weekend Heather and I went down to Atlantic City for the Dave Matthews Band Caravan. We went for all three days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It was a blast!! We saw a bunch of awesome bands and of course each night was topped off with an amazing set by Dave Matthews Band. Some highlights included sets by Fitz and the Tantrums, Ray Lamontagne, David Gray, From Good Homes, and OAR. On Saturday morning I actually ran 5 miles with Heather on the boardwalk, the foot felt OK, it was tight, but not too painful.

Me in front of the main stage

Dave Matthews Band at Sunset

Fitz and the Tantrums

Lisa Hannigan

I really enjoyed my two weeks of "resting" and "recovering" ha ha. Next week I will try running a few times and see how things feel. I hope that a couple weeks off and my continued trips to physical therapy will get me ahead of this foot problem and get me on the road to recovery. There are races on the horizon and I want to be ready!

6/13 to 6/26 Total Miles: 5

Picture from Old Sandwich Road Race

2011-06-08T23:25:00.001-04:00

Training 6/6 to 6/12

2011-06-08T22:48:00.007-04:00

6/6 Monday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Very easy running from Cedardale. Felt pretty good for most of the run, the foot really started to hurt the last couple miles.

6/7 Tuesday: 10.2 miles in 82 minutes

Wow.....I felt really awful today. I could not run any faster than 8 minute pace. I think a combination the heat and the 1/2 marathon on Sunday really got to me today.

6/8 Wednesday: 7.2 miles in 53 minutes

Late evening run after going to my PT appointment were I was once again tortured for an hour. I really hope all the pain they put me through help heal my foot. My legs felt much better today.

6/9 Thursday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 10 miles in 69 minutes

AM: Very easy treadmill running.

PM: Running up in Exeter, NH with CMS teammate Al Bernier. He took me on a nice tour of some of the very nice trails and back roads in the area. Its always nice to run in a new place.

6/10 Friday: 8 miles in 62 minutes

Felt pretty sore and slow today. They beat me up pretty good this morning at PT.

6/11 Saturday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Very easy running on the treadmill. Didn't really feel well this morning, just sluggish and tired.

6/12 Sunday: 14 miles in 98 minutes

Ran the 10k at the USATFNE Track Championships. Warmed up 3 miles with my CMS teammates, then ran 10k in 33:24 good for 3rd place, then cooled down just short of 5 miles with the CMS guys.

Total Miles: 67.4

Training 5/30 to 6/5

2011-06-06T21:08:00.000-04:00

5/30 Monday: 9 miles in 64 minutes

Ran the Titan's Memorial Day 5k in Pembroke, MA. Ran 1 mile of warm up and then raced 5k in 15:42 good for the win! Warmed down by chasing my daughter around as she race the kids 2k. Heather also took first place in the 5k....double win! Results

5/31 Tuesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Merrimack River Trail from the Hotel. Ran with Jim Johnson and Mike Quintal.

6/1 Wednesday: 10.1 miles in 80 minutes

Easy running out past Crystal Lake and back with Heather....till she dusted me over the last 2 miles. Got chased home by a thunder storm.

6/2 Thursday: 6 miles in 48 minutes

Very easy treadmill running at home. Just had no time to get out running today. Plus the foot is killing me.

6/3 Friday: OFF

Well I finally went to go see someone about my foot. I went to Off Season Sports and Physical Therapy to get a diagnosis and some treatment. The bad news is that I have plantar fasciitis, the good news is that I now have a plan in place to treat it. After a collection of tests and treatments (ouch!) I was sent home with a list of stretches and exercises to do. I hope this is the begining of the end for the pain in my foot!

6/4 Saturday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Very easy running with Heather.

6/5 Sunday: 17.5 miles in 106 minutes

Went down to Plymouth, MA to run the Old Sandwich Road Race 1/2 marathon. Warmed up an easy 2 miles, then ran 13.1 miles in 1:12:26 good for first place and a new course record! I was very happy with this race, I felt comfortable and strong the whole way on this very tough course. Warmed down 2.4 miles. Results

Congrats to Heather who won the 10k!

Total Miles: 56.6

Training 5/23 to 5/30

2011-05-30T20:33:00.005-04:00

5/23 Monday: 6 miles in 44 minutes

Easy running from Cedarland. Felt pretty heavy and slow today.

5/24 Tuesday: AM: 10.1 miles in 73 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill loop, felt much better today.

5/25 Wednesday: 10.5 in 75 minutes

Andover Center loop with 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

5/26 Thursday: 8.4 miles in 61 minutes

Shawsheen River trails through the neighborhood and a cemetery loop for good measure.

5/27 Friday: OFF

First day off in a while. Rested up my legs for a weekend of racing

5/28 Saturday: 8.1 miles in 56 minutes

Ran the Sons of Italy 5k in Lawrence MA. Warmed up 3 miles over the course with Heather, then race 5k in 16:11 (splits 5:35, 5:12, 4:55, 30). Good for second place to Run's Joseph Koech. Warmed down 2 miles with Heather and Greg Ward (CMS). Heather picked up the win in 19:22. I was very happy with the effort today. Results

5/29 Sunday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running in Haverhill. Getting ready for another day of racing tomorrow.

Total Miles: 55.1

Training 5/16 to 5/22

2011-05-22T17:42:00.001-04:00

5/16 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Treadmill run at home.

5/17 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 76 minutes PM: 5 miles in 37 minutes

AM: Run out past Crystal Lake

PM: Easy running in Andover

5/18 Wednesday: 11 miles in 75 minutes

Run from Cedarland with Jim Johnson. Ran over to the Bradford Valentine 5 mile course and did that loop and back. Solid run!

5/19 Thursday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt pretty good today.

5/20 Friday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Easy running in Haverhill with Heather.

5/21 Saturday: 8.1 miles in 56 minutes

Ran the Reading Lions Club Journey for Sight 5k. Warmed up 2.5 miles with Heather, then raced 5k in 15:58 good for 2nd place behind a very strong Tom Davis. After the race I did a nice 2.5 mile cool down with Heather. Results

5/22 Sunday: 15 miles in 106 minutes

Ran alone.....I didn't get invited to the river run this morning :( Ran out past Crystal Lake and did the Hooker Farm Road loop. Felt pretty good except for my left foot really acting up in the last few miles. It made the end of my run a bit unpleasant.

Total Miles: 72.1

Training 5/9 to 5/15

2011-05-15T21:26:00.000-04:00

5/9 Monday: 5 miles in 39 minutes

Very easy recovery day.

5/10 Tuesday: 10.2 miles in 78 minutes

Shawsheen River trails up past Andover High School and around the cemetery.

5/11 Wednesday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 10 miles in 67 minutes

AM: Easy treadmill running at home.

PM: Run from the Whirlaway with Jim Johnson. Solid run!

5/12 Thursday: AM: 10 miles in 74 minutes PM: 6.2 miles in 48 minutes

AM: Early morning running out past Crystal Lake.

PM: Very easy run with Heather.

5/13 Friday: 6.5 miles on the treadmill.

Very early run on the treadmill, then it was off to NH for a wedding. Good times!

5/14 Saturday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Very easy running with Heather in Campton NH.

5/15 Sunday: 12.6 miles in 90 minutes

Ran the Manomartian 3.4 mile Road Race in Plymouth, MA. Warmed up 3 miles over part of the course to check out "The Hill". Discovered that this is a very challenging course and "The Hill" is a tough one! Ran 17:16 good for first place! My first win of the year! Warmed down 6.2 miles.

Total Miles: 70.5

Training 5/2 to 5/8

2011-05-08T11:44:00.001-04:00

5/2 Monday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Ran the Merrimack River trail with Jim Johnson from the hotel. Went nice and easy.

5/3 Tuesday: AM: 5 miles in 39 minutes PM: 10 miles in 73 minutes

AM: Easy running from home.

PM: Easy run out past Crystal Lake, first part with Heather. Did 6 x 20-25 second strides in the last couple miles.

5/4 Wednesday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill. I was going to run in the evening, but I decided an light mileage day was in order. Time to give the legs a little break.

5/5 Thursday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 10 miles in 64 minutes (Garmin)

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home

PM: Ran from Cedardale. Did not intend on running hard but I ended up running a progression run. Started out easy but worked it down pretty quickly, miles 2 - 9 went 6:36, 6:46, 6:21, 6:10, 6:15, 6:05, 5:40, 5:30. Then I eased up the last mile as a cool down. The last five miles of up tempo I averaged 5:56 pace. It was also up hill on the way back! A nice solid run.

5/6 Friday: 9 miles in 68 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails.

5/7 Saturday: 6 miles in 46 minutes

Easy running from home.

5/8 Sunday: 11 miles in 76 minutes

Ran the USATFNE Championships at the Medical Center 6k in Nashua, NH. Warmed up 3.5 miles with the CMS guys, ran 6k in 19:30 (13th place overall, CMS Open team 1st place), cooled down 6k with he CMS guys. Race report to be posted soon!

James Joyce Ramble

2011-05-03T20:40:00.000-04:00

On Sunday May 1st I ran the USATFNE 10k Championships at the James Joyce Ramble in Dedham Mass. I came into this race having upped my mileage over the last few weeks and still dealing with some plantar issues in my left foot. So I wanted to be smart with my racing, but still run a good hard race. I figured if I ran a good race I could run around 32:50 (5:17 pace), so that was the goal! This was also a race my team, The Central Mass Striders (CMS), really felt like we had a chance to win if we put in a strong race. So the pressure was on! After a good warm up with my CMS teammates it was go time!

As the race went off I tried to stay relaxed and make sure I did not get in over my head early in the race. The first mile is fast as it has some downhill. So I wasn't surprised when we went through the first mile in 4:59. Although I still think I was about 5-6 seconds faster than I should have been. At this point I was near CMS teammate Greg Hammett. He is a very strong runner and I knew he would run a solid pace, so I tucked in behind Greg and went for the ride. We hit the 2nd mile in 10:11 (5:12 mile). We were in really good position, with three other CMS guys in front of us, Greg and I were 4th and 5th on the team. At this point no other team had more than 2 or 3 guys in front of us. As we got close to three miles a couple guys went past us and we hit the third mile in 15:33 (5:22). Around this point I went past Greg and I expected him to tuck in behind me. Little did I know that Greg was hurting a bit and actually falling off the pace. I didn't even realize this till after the race. At this point I ended up tucking in behind Michael Bunker of the Dirigo team and followed him for the next three miles. We hit 4 miles in 20:55 (5:22)and 5 miles in 26:18 (5:23). During this stretch nobody went past us, I think we may have past a couple guys, but I was just concentrating on hanging on and keeping the pace strong. Not long after the 5 mile mark I could hear some guys coming up from behind us. To my horror it was a pack of Whirlaway guys! I managed to hold them off through the 6th mile mark in 32:45 (5:24). With 0.2 miles to go I knew it was going to be a dog fight and my legs were already feeling like telephone poles! Michael Bunker pulled away from me and soon I was in a battle with Whirlaway's Keven O'Neil, Pat Ard, and Joe Navas. I ran as fast as my legs would let me go, but it was not to be. We all finished with in 3 seconds of each other, but I was the last one across the line.

At this point I was thinking that there was a good chance that we were going to lose the team race to Whirlaway. Those guys ran a great race and had five guys scored before we had our 4th (me) and 5th (Greg Ward) guys in. I left the race thinking we had lost, only to get a call later telling me we had actually won by 4 seconds! I was pretty excited that CMS was the 10k Mens Open Team Champion! What a tight race! Special thanks to Kevin Gorman who was out there on the course cheering us on. It was a great help to have all that support out there on the course. I am looking foward to doing it aover again this weekend at the USATFNE 6k Championships!

Results

Splits:

4:59

5:12 (10:11)

5:22 (15:33)

5:22 (20:55)

5:23 (26:18)

5:24 (31:42)

1:03 (32:45)

Training 4/25 to 5/1

2011-05-01T17:33:00.000-04:00

4/25 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy treadmill running at home.

4/26 Tuesday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill Road loop. Felt pretty good today, the left foot was a little tight, but not too bad.

4/27 Wednesday: AM: 5 miles in 37 minutes PM: 10 miles in 69 minutes

AM: Easy running in Andover

PM: Merrimack River Trail from the hotel with Jim Johnson.

4/28 Thursday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 10 miles in 76 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill.

PM: Merrimack River Trail from the hotel

4/29 Friday: 9 miles in 68 minutes

Easy running up to Andover Center

4/30 Saturday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Very easy running on the treadmill.

5/1 Sunday: 13 miles in 88 minutes

I did 2.8 miles of warm up and strides with my CMS teammates. Then raced the USATFNE 10k Championships at the James Joyce Ramble in 32:45. That was good for 18th overall and 4th man on the 10k Champion CMS team! Did another 4 miles of warm down with the CMS guys. It was a good day and we squeaked out the championship by only 4 seconds over a very tough Whirlaway Team. Can't wait to do it again next weekend at the USATFNE 6k Championships!

Total Miles: 74

Training 4/18 to 4/24

2011-04-24T21:27:00.001-04:00

4/18 Monday: 7 miles in 55 minutes

Ran on the treadmill while watching the Boston Marathon coverage leading up to the race. Then I settled in to watch an absolutely awesome race! Wish I could have been out there to enjoy the tailwind....there were some awesome times out there!

4/19 Tuesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Felt pretty good during todays run. Left foot felt OK during the run, but I got more shooting pain about an hour after my run.

4/20 Wednesday: AM: 4.5 mile in 36 minutes PM: 9 miles in 67 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home.

PM: Treadmill running again. My foot feels the best on the treadmill.

4/21 Thursday: 9 miles in 65 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River Trails and up to the high school. Felt pretty good.

4/22 Friday: 8 miles in 58 minutes

Easy running out past the cemetery.

4/23 Saturday: 11 miles in 78 minutes

Out of Hibernation 5k. 3 miles of warm up with Heather, Bob, and Brandon. 5k in 15:58 (3rd place) in windy, rainy weather. 5 miles of cool down with Bob and Brandon. Results

4/24 Sunday: 13.1 miles in 90 minutes

Ran over to Winnikenni and hit the trails. My left foot was sore to start the run, but after a few miles it felt pretty good. I finished up the last 5 miles pretty strong with mid to low 6 minutes miles.

Total Miles: 71.6

Training 4/11 to 4/17

2011-04-17T20:32:00.001-04:00

4/11 Monday: 6 miles in 50 minutes

A very slow run along the Shawsheen River. Legs felt really beat up after the trail race Saturday and hiking all day Sunday.

4/12 Tuesday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Another really easy day to make sure I get my legs back under me.

4/13 Wednesday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

Treadmill run at home. Didn't feel like running in the cold rain. Legs felt ten times better today.

4/14 Thursday: 10.5 miles in 76 minutes

Ran along the Shawsheen out to the high school and a loop in the cemetery. Felt pretty good today.

4/15 Friday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Ran the Rattlesnake Hill loop. The left foot was a little more sore than usual today.

4/16 Saturday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Crystal Lake out and back. It was nice out there but windy. Left foot is a bit better today.

4/17 Sunday: 10.5 miles in 70 minutes

Ran out past Crystal Lake again. Four miles easy, then into a bit of a progression run. Went 6:47, 6:27, 5:54, 5:46, 5:30 over the next five miles. Then easy back home. Felt good during the run, but then got a bit of shooting pain in the left foot about an hour later. Then the pain went away. Not sure what to think at this point.....I may go see someone to get a solid diagnosis and find out exactly whats going on in my foot.

Total Miles: 61

Training 4/4 to 4/10

2011-04-13T12:10:00.001-04:00

4/4 Monday: 8.4 miles in 65 minutes

Ran the Merrimack River trail today from the hotel. It was a wet one out there! My left foot was tight all day today but it did not bother me too much during the run. It was just feeling tight.

4/5 Tuesday: 9 miles in 62 minutes

Three miles easy, then three miles at 6 minute pace, then three miles easy. Felt nice and relaxed the whole time.

4/6 Wednesday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

Ran the Shawsheen river trails over to Andover High School and out towards Bakers Meadow. Felt OK today. The left foot is still feeling the same, no pain, but I can still feel tightness.

4/7 Thursday: 8.7 miles in 66 minutes

Night time treadmill running. No time to run during the day. Felt Ok, kept things nice and easy.

4/8 Friday: 7 miles in 53 minutes

Easy trail running. Felt pretty good.

4/9 Saturday: 14.5 miles in 1 hour and 36 minutes

Ran the Merrimack River trail race. Warmed up 2.5 miles, raced 10 miles in 59:14, good for third place. Cooled down 2 miles. Race report to come soon!

4/10 Sunday: OFF / 12 miles hiking

Went to NH for the rest of the weekend and hiked Middle and South Carter with Heather. I asked her to marry me and she said yes!

Total Miles: 57.6

A great week!

Training 3/28 to 4/2

2011-04-03T18:38:00.000-04:00

3/28 Monday: OFF

Wicked busy day at work and I am not feeling 100% today

3/29 Tuesday: 8.2 miles in 60 minutes

Ran the Shawsheen River trails. It was nice to be back on the trails for the first time this year. Legs felt much better today. I am not getting that painful stabbing feeling in my foot anymore. It more just a tight, kind of sore feeling.

3/30 Wednesday: 12 miles in 86 minutes

Trail running with Jim Johnson, Mike Quintal and Ryan Miller. Twisted up the ankles pretty good a few times and the left foot is hurting pretty good now!

3/31 Thursday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Ran on the treadmill today. My lower legs are a bit sore and tight today from yesterdays trail run. The left foot is feeling OK, tight but no stabbing pain.

4/1 Friday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Treadmill running while watching the Red Sox game. Felt OK today, the legs were a little stiff to start but loosened up . The foot is the same, a bit tight , but no pain.

4/2 Saturday: 5 miles in 37 minutes and 4 hours of skiing

Run in Campton with Heather after skiing with Dad and Caitlyn. Easy out and back running, the legs were a bit tired from skiing but felt OK. My left foot also felt OK again, just a bit tight.

4/3 Sunday: 11 miles in 76 minutes (Garmin)

Ran over to Winnekenni and did the big loop of the lake with a bit of add on. I felt good besides my foot hurting a little bit. I only kept the boot on for a couple hours last night so I am not surprised.

Total Miles: 52.2

New Bedford Half Marathon

2011-03-28T18:58:00.008-04:00

On Sunday March 20th I ran the USATFNE 1/2 Marathon Championships at the New Bedford Half Marathon. I have been battling some plantar issues in my left foot for a while now and I really didn't know how the foot would react to 13.1 miles of racing. I had taken some down time over the last week to rest up my foot and legs. So I figured I would just get after it and see what happens. The goal was to shoot for a PR (currently 1:11:15, 5:27 pace) and see what happens.

I got out pretty relaxed and settled in with the Kim Smith group. She ran here last year and was a bit under 1:11. So I figured this was a good place for me to settle in. I stayed relaxed through the first 4 miles (going 5:21, 5:22, 5:15, and 5:25) which has some rolling hills and got to the flat section that follows. At this point the splits were pretty good and I knew I was on pace for a new PR. During this flat section I began to lose Kim as she started to push the pace down, but I was actually able to catch up to Jim Johnson and Greg Hammett, two of my CMS teammates. We went through mile 5 in 5:08, well under PR pace and a bit quick! I think I hung on with them for about half a mile before they started to pull away. My pace was still good as I passed the 6th, 7th and 8th miles in 5:18, 5:21, and 5:26. At this point I ended up by myself for a bit and the wind was a little tough. Soon enough my CMS teammate Andy McCarron came by and I tucked in behind him. I was able to hang in there with Andy for a little while, we soon passed by mile 9 in 5:41, a bit off the pace I needed and soon Andy was pulling away. I was again alone and beginning to struggle. The 10 mile mark went by in 5:35 and I just kept thinking only a 5k to go, just got to hang in there! But I was really starting to hurt at this point. The legs were really starting to get heavy and my calfs were starting to cramp up. I hit the 11 mile mark with a 5:29 and started to think I could really get to the finish with PR. During the next mile CMS teammates Mike Quintal and Scott Leslie went by me like I was standing still. I went by the 12th mile with a 5:38 and knew I was really in trouble as I began the up hill last mile. At this point a guy wearing a hula skirt and no shoes went by me! I really struggled up the long hill and to the finish. My form was awful and my lower legs were cramping up pretty bad. I passed mile 13 with a 5:50 and tried to kick it in. I finished up with a last 0.1 of 39 seconds, finishing in 1:11:28 good for 33rd place.

The overall results are not awful, but this is not how I wanted to finish up a race. I thought I was having a really good race and I was on pace for a big PR till the last 5k of the race. I really think overcompensating for my left foot really caught up to me in the late miles as my lower legs really cramped up and my right hip was getting tight. The good news is that the CMS team ran great and we finished 2nd to BAA. We had 5 guys under 1:11 and most of the team scored a PR today!

Results

Splits:

5:21

5:22 (10:43)

5:15 (15:57)

5:25 (21:22)

5:08 (26:30) 5 miles

5:18 (31:48)

5:21 (37:09)

5:26 (42:35)

5:41 (48:17)

5:35 (53:52) 10 Miles

5:29 (59:21)

5:38 (64:59)

5:50 (70:49)

0:39 (71:28) 17:36 last 5k

Training 3/21 to 3/27

2011-03-27T19:06:00.003-04:00

3/21 Monday: OFF

Felt really awful today. My whole body is wrecked.

3/22 Tuesday: OFF

Legs are still feeling pretty bad.

3/23 Wednesday: 5 miles in 40 minutes.

Very easy running in Andover. Feeling all out of sorts.

3/24: Thursday: OFF

3/25 Friday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Ran with Heather and Emily today. The legs are feeling much better and the foot is actually feeling pretty good too.

3/26 Saturday: 8 miles in 58 minutes

Easy running with Heather. The foot is feeling OK.

3/27 Sunday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill. Foot still feeling OK, but tight.

Total Miles: 25

A pretty bad week of running. The good news is that my legs and foot got a good rest. I hope this light running helps the foot towards healing up for good.

Training 3/14 to 3/20

2011-03-27T18:45:00.006-04:00

3/14 Monday: 7 miles in 51 minutes

Easy running in Andover.

3/15 Tuesday: OFF

3/16 Wednesday: OFF

3/17 Thursday: 5.1 miles 39 minutes

Easy running from home.

3/18 Friday: 4.2 miles in 30 minutes

Easy running from Cedardale.

3/19 Saturday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Easy running at home on the treadmill.

3/20 Sunday: 18 miles in 1 hour and 51 minutes

Ran the New Bedford Half Marathon, the USATFNE Championships in 1:11:28 good for 33rd place. Just missed my PR by 13 seconds! A short race report coming soon.

Total Miles: 39.3

Training 3/7 to 3/13

2011-03-09T20:42:00.004-05:00

3/7 Monday: 9 miles in 65 minutes

Easy running after work. My legs actually felt pretty good today, which surprised me considering I had run 22 miles yesterday. But I will take it!

3/8 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 71 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt OK, but the right hip is still bothering me from my fall on Saturday. Nothing bad, but something to keep an eye on.

PM: East treadmill running at home.

3/9 Wednesday: 10.5 miles in 70 minutes

Ran from Cedarland in Haverhill. I ran over to the Bradford Valentine 5 miles course. While on the course I did 3 x 5 minutes hard with 5 minutes rest. The first one was 5:26 pace, the second 5:26 pace, and the last at 5:09 pace. I was pretty happy with this considering the hilly nature of this course. My hip is still acting up a bit, and my calfs were barking a bit after the hard sections. Next week might be a good time to back down a bit and recover before New Bedford.

3/10 Thursday: OFF

3/11 Friday: OFF

3/12 Saturday: Hiked Mount Whiteface in NH.

Hiked with Heather and Ben. Great day to get outside!

3/13 Sunday: 16.2 miles in 1 hour 53 minutes (Garmin)

Providence Hill loop. Felt pretty good.

Total Miles: 50.7

Training 2/28 to 3/6

2011-03-06T16:28:00.001-05:00

2/28 Monday: 7 miles in 56 minutes

Legs felt pretty bad today. I am having trouble going down stairs and such. I don't remember a ten mile race ever beating me up this bad. Just ran real easy.

3/1 Tuesday: 10 miles in 80 minutes

Legs are still really beat up. Went a little further today, but kept it real easy.

3/2 Wednesday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 9 miles in 66 minutes

AM: Easy treadmill running at home. Still a bit beat up.

PM: Treadmill running at home. I actually felt a lot better this afternoon. The legs were a bit tight, but way better than yesterday, or even this morning

3/3 Thursday: AM: 10 miles in 70 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt much better today. I did a 1 minute pickups at miles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9.

PM: Easy treadmill running at home.

3/4 Friday: 8.5 miles in 62 minutes

Easy running in Andover. Felt pretty relaxed. Legs feeling ok.

3/5 Saturday: 8.5 miles in 61 minutes

Easy running in Haverhill. I actually took a pretty bad fall a little over a mile into this run. I went pretty early and there was black ice all over the side roads. Busted up the hip and shoulder a bit, but I saved the head from any significant impact with the road. Felt OK to continue the run.

Attended the Whirlaway team party later that night, as a guest. It was great to see everyone and hear some great talks from those who spoke.

3/6 Sunday: 22 miles in 155 minutes (Garmin)

Felt pretty good today. The lower back and hip were tight to start out (from my fall yesterday) but after a few miles of easy running I was good to go! Tried to keep things very relaxed and easy and let the run come to me. I felt very comfortable for almost the whole run. I pushed the pace down a bit in the end to finish up the run at a solid pace. Check out the garmin link above for all the details.

Total Miles: 83

A good week of training! Getting excited to see how all this work pays off at New Bedford in a couple weeks!

Jones Realtor Group 10 Miler

2011-03-03T18:52:00.006-05:00

On Sunday February 27th I headed out to Amherst, MA for the Jones Realtor Group 10 Miler. This trip served two purposes, race a longer hard course, and eat some good college food! I wasn't sure I was going to head out to Amherst when I got up in the morning. With the snow overnight I was afraid the 2 hour drive would turn into a nightmare. After checking the weather and traffic reports I decided to go for it. At this point I was thinking that the snow would make a very tough course in Amherst even tougher. I have not raced since December and had a rough January training due to sickness so I wasn't sure how this was going to go. But with the last few weeks of training going well, I really wanted to find out what kind of shape I was in and get in a hard long effort no matter the conditions. After getting signed up I headed out for a warm up with some CMS teammates and others over the first mile and a half of the course. We also took a look at the finish area for those who had not seen it before. Soon we were back at the school getting on our racing flats on and getting ready to race!

After a few strides we were called to the starting line and very quickly we were off and running. Right away Justin Fyffe and Jesse Regnier shot to the front followed by Andy McCarron (CMS), Greg Hammett (CMS), myself and a slew of other runners. The first mile was snow and slush covered making it pretty slick and I felt like I was putting in a bit more effort than I wanted to run the pace I was going. I hit the first mile in 5:21 with Andy and Greg and at this point thought that maybe I should back off a bit. Over the next downhill mile I let Greg and Andy pull away a bit as I tried to settle into a more comfortable pace. The second mile went by in 5:10 (10:31) and I was all alone, but I could hear someone close behind and catching up to me. Not long after that Kibrom Temelso went by me. I tucked in behind him and hung on for a while as the course started to slowly head up hill. Soon we made a right hand turn and the real climbing started. We went by the three mile mark together in 5:50 (16:21) but soon Kibrom pulled away and I was back to running alone and not feeling all that good. My legs were feeling very heavy and slow as I paid for the quick downhill start. Not long after that Drew Best went by me looking strong and quickly making his way up to Kibrom. This all took place while going up a monster hill. Soon we hit the dirt road which was very snowy, icy, muddy and very slippery. Everyone I could see was swerving back and forth across the road trying to find traction. The conditions made this part of the race pretty difficult and slow. I hit the four mile mark with a 6:16 (22:37), yes, it was that slow. At this point I noticed that Drew had pulled away from Kibrom and he was coming back to me. I was starting to feeling a little bit better and really started trying to put in some effort to catch Kibrom. About half way through the 5th mile I went past Kibrom and tried to put some distance on him. He tried to hang on, but finally I got away from him and felt some space open up. I hit the 5th mile, still on the dirt road, in 5:43 (28:20). Just after this I finally got back on some pavement and was pumped to be running with out slipping and sliding all over the place. At this point I really tried to put the hammer down and put Kibrom away, I also had my eyes set on Drew in the distance. The sixth mile went by in 5:32 (33:53) and I felt like I was making up ground on Drew. So I pressed pretty hard to see if I could actually get up to him. I think it was during this mile that I first noticed him looking back 2 or 3 different times. I hit the seventh mile in 5:20 ( 39:13) and still had my eye on Drew, but I felt like I wasn't making up any ground. I also could no longer hear Kibrom behind me which had me confident that I had put a good distance on him.....but I wasn't turning around to find out! The eighth mile was reached in 5:35 (44:48) and I was starting to develop a pretty bad side stitch! Not sure the last time I had one of those and it had me worried for the final 2 miles which has some wicked uphill. At this point I decided just to make sure I held my position and finished up strong on the hills. The finish has a set of three hills, I hit the first one and just tried to stay relaxed and hit the ninth mile in 5:30 (50:18) At this point I did take a peak back and saw that Kibrom was a ways back, but I still felt he was in striking distance with the hills ahead. I really just tried to work the last two hills the best I could with out blowing up. Once I made it to the top of the hills I felt like I had my position secured. I made my way down to the school and around the parking lot to the finish with last mile in 5:54 (56:12) good for 6th place overall.

Race winner Justin Fyffe

After the race I went out for a cool down with my CMS teammates and some others. The consensus among everyone was that the course was at least a minute if not a minute and a half slower due to the conditions today. Looking over results from last year to this year it looks like that was the case. Some even ran more than two minutes slower. So overall I am pretty happy with the result as I was 31 seconds slower than last year. I felt like I put in a solid effort and got pretty good results for this time of year and considering my health issues in January.

Results

Splits

5:21

5:10 (10:31)

5:50 (16:21)

6:16 (22:37)

5:43 (28:20)

5:32 (33:53)

5:20 (39:13)

5:35 (44:48)

5:30 (50:18)

5:54 (56:12) (27:52 second half)

Training 2/21 to 2/27

2011-02-27T18:15:00.000-05:00

2/21 Monday: 20 miles in 139 minutes (6:57 pace) (Garmin)

Long run from home. Started out pretty easy and let the run come to me. Ran a loop out past Crystal Lake and then over to "America's Stonehenge" and then up Providence Hill Road. I actually felt pretty good. My last 6 miles were all 6:35 or better, with the last two at 5:48 and 5:42.

2/22 Tuesday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill at home. Felt OK, better than I expected after putting in 20 miles yesterday.

2/23 Wednesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Treadmill running at home. Felt pretty good.

2/24 Thursday: 12 miles in 80 minutes (Garmin)

Ran from the Whirlaway with Jim Johnson and Dan Vassallo. Felt pretty good and it was actually a pretty nice night out for a run.

2/25 Friday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy treadmill run at home. Felt OK.

2/26 Saturday: 6 miles in 42 minutes

Checked out the Frozen Shamrock 3 mile course today. Just in case I don't make it out to Amherst tomorrow. Felt pretty good, did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

2/27 Sunday: 18 miles in 120 minutes

Went out to Amherst for the Jones Group Realtors 10 Mile Road Race. I did 3 miles of warm up, 10 miles in 56:12 (results), 5 miles cool down. Course was a mess with the snow last night, but it was still good for a nice hard run! Race report will be posted soon!

Total Miles: 82 miles

Good week of running! Got in the miles and got in a very solid race.

Training 2/14 to 2/20

2011-02-20T17:40:00.001-05:00

2/14 Monday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running from in Andover out to Vale Street. Felt pretty slow and heavy today which was to be expected after Sundays effort.

2/15 Tuesday: 10 miles in 72 minutes

Ran the Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt a bit better today but still pretty tired. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

2/16 Wednesday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 10 miles in 70 minutes

AM: Easy treadmill running at home.

PM: Running from the Whirlaway with Jim Johnson. Felt pretty good and the pace came pretty easy.

2/17 Thursday: AM: 4 miles in 32 minutes PM: 12 miles in 90 minutes

AM: Easy running on the treadmill at home. For some reason I really aggravated my left foot this morning. Maybe I didn't give it enough time to loosen up before running.

PM: Spent a lot of time stretching and rolling a tennis ball with my foot to loosen it up today. Foot felt much better for my run. Ran with Craig Fram and John Gorman from the Whirlaway. The pace stayed pretty relaxed which was great, and the foot actually felt OK.

2/18 Friday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 10 miles in 71 minutes

AM: Easy treadmill running at home

PM: Rattlesnake Hill Loop. What a great day for a run! Felt a bit heavy, but to be expected with the jump in mileage. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

2/19 Saturday: 7.5 miles in 54 minutes then 10.2 miles hiking

Easy running in Campton from the school out to Perch Pond Road and back. Wind was blowing pretty hard this morning making this run nice and cold! What a difference from yesterday.

After running Heather and I went for a great hike. We hiked from route 302 up Zealand Road to the Hale Brook Trail and to the summit of Mt. Hale. We actually saw quite a few people out there on the trail enjoying the day. This was number 42 out of the 48 New Hampshire 4000 footers for me, only 6 more to go!

2/20 Sunday: 5.5 miles in 44 minutes

Very easy treadmill run at home. Feeling a little beat today from the hiking, so I went easy and will run my long run tomorrow.

Total Miles: 76

A really good week! 76 miles of running and 10.2 miles of hiking and I still managed to have a very easy 5.5 mile day. The only thing missing was a long run, and that will be done tomorrow!

Training 2/7 to 2/13

2011-02-13T10:41:00.002-05:00

2/7 Monday: 8.2 miles in 60 minutes

Run from Whirlaway with Jim Johnson. Running the roads at night sucks with no sidewalks or any kind of shoulder at all.

2/8 Tuesday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Treadmill run at home. Felt OK, just wanted to get this run done.

2/9 Wednesday: 10 miles in 68 minutes

Ran from Cedarland in Haverhill. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards end of the run. Felt pretty good today. Left foot is a little sore in heel area.

2/10 Thursday: 10 miles in 72 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill loop. Tried to keep things pretty easy today. Left foot still bothering me a bit today.

2/11 Friday: 10.4 miles in 72 minutes

Andover Center run. Felt alright, my left foot felt a little better today after doing some stretching and massage yesterday. I think i just need to keep on it with stretching and massage.

Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

2/12 Saturday: 6.5 miles in 50 minutes

Easy treadmill running at home.

2/13 Sunday: 18 miles in 120 minutes (Garmin)

Ran from the Whirlaway with a nice group of guys including Dan Princic, Mark Hudson, Craig Fram, Marty Lechleider, Eric Beauchesne, and Mike Cooney. The pace was pretty easy for the first couple miles.......but that was it. Soon Marty was off the back and Cooney was out front pushing the pace. The rest of the run was all sub 7 minute pace, with the last half mostly in the 6:15 to 6:25 range. The overall pace was just under 6:40. A bit quicker than I had hoped to go today, but it was a very solid run that I feel pretty good about.

Total Miles: 71.1

Its good to be back! Finally a solid week with some good running.

Training 1/31 to 2/6

2011-02-09T20:47:00.000-05:00

1/31 Monday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running in Andover, legs were a little tired from yesterdays long run, but overall they felt better than I expected. Good news, today my treadmill got fixed! Just in time for another big storm.

2/1 Tuesday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Treadmill run! Easy running before work. Felt pretty slow and heavy.

2/2 Wednesday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

Treadmill running at home. Felt OK today despite the boring run.

2/3 Thursday: 12 miles in 83 minutes

Treadmill run. Ran 5 miles easy, 4 miles up tempo (3 miles at 6 min pace last at 5:49), 3 miles easy. Caught the first period of the Bruins game while running, wow that was the best first 2 minutes of hockey I have ever seen. My run was also the best I have had in a long time. I felt pretty solid.

2/4 Friday: OFF

2/5 Saturday: OFF

Spent the day skiing at Bretton Woods with Caitlyn and my parents.

2/6 Sunday: 16 miles in 104 minutes

Felt real good today and the miles came easy. My last 5 miles were 6:09, 6:09, 5:49, 5:39 and 5:24. It felt good to finish up a longer run so strong.

Total Miles: 50

Not the best week, but I got in two really nice runs on Thursday and Sunday. Now its time to fill in those off days and bring the miles up.

Training 1/24 to 1/30

2011-01-30T16:30:00.000-05:00

1/24 Monday: OFF

I thought about getting out for a run today. I am feeling the best I have in a while, but I was not going out in that arctic cold. I would have hit the treadmill, but its still broken.

1/25 Tuesday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill at work. Felt OK, it was nice to move the legs a bit.

1/26 Wednesday: 8 miles in 57 minutes

Easy running out past the cemetery in Andover. Actually felt pretty comfortable.

1/27 Thursday: OFF

Snow day in Haverhill and Caitlyn had no school. Treadmill is broken....so no run.

1/28 Friday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill loop. It was nice to get back out on this loop, and I actually felt pretty good.

1/29 Saturday: 7.2 miles in 52 minutes

Woke up feeling not so good again. This time its all in my head, its killing me to blow my nose. I need to go see a real doctor....not that crappy walk in clinic I went to last time. I have no primary care doctor.....so if anyone has a great family practice doctor in the Haverhill/Andover area let me know. Run was alright, at least it was nice out.

1/30 Sunday: 14 miles in 104 minutes

Todays run was all about just getting in the miles. The legs felt pretty heavy and slow the whole way.

Total Miles: 44.2

Training 1/17 to 1/23

2011-01-25T09:20:00.002-05:00

1/17 Monday: 11 miles in 80 minutes

Running with Jim Johnson. Felt OK, and it felt real nice to be out there running again.

1/18 Tuesday: OFF

Felt like a pile of crap again.

1/19 Wednesday: 5 miles in 39 minutes

Treadmill running at work. Felt like death.

1/20 Thursday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

Still not feeling to good. I think its time to get myself healthy.

1/21 Friday: OFF

1/22 Saturday: OFF

1/23 Sunday: OFF

Total Miles: 23

A very frustrating week. I had plans to get right back on it and get in some good running. The problem is I can not stay healthy. Every time I think I am getting well or that I have kicked my cold I get knocked back down again with some kind of nasty sickness. Over the last few days I have concentrated on getting some rest and plenty of sleep in hopes that will help my immune system get going. I am also now pumping in the vitamin C, maybe that will help.

Training 1/10 to 1/16

2011-01-25T09:19:00.002-05:00

1/10 to 1/16: No running during this week. Spent most of the week sick while on vacation.

Training 1/3 to 1/9

2011-01-06T18:41:00.001-05:00

1/3 Monday: AM: 5 miles in 38 minutes PM: 10.4 miles in 74 minutes

AM: Easy running in Andover

PM: Whirlaway winter 10 mile loop. I knew if I went home there was no way I was going to get out the door for a run. So I stopped at the Whirlaway for a run. I felt pretty good out there tonight.

1/4 Tuesday: OFF

Sick

1/5 Wednesday: OFF

Sick

1/6 Thursday: OFF

Sick

1/7 Friday: OFF

Travel to Puerto Rico. Still having health issues.

1/8 Saturday: 11 miles in 80 minutes

Treadmill running on the cruise ship, felt OK running. Still not feeling the best. I am not sure trying to run this much was a good idea.

1/9 Sunday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Treadmill running. Still feeling under the weather.

Total Miles: 30.4

My worst week in a very long time. Why can't I stay healthy. This is not the way I wanted to start out the new year.

Training 12/27 to 1/2

2011-01-02T19:27:00.001-05:00

12/27 Monday: 10 miles in 75 minutes

I ran on the treadmill today. I just don't trust drivers with the roads being slick.

12/28 Tuesday: 10 miles in 70 minutes

Lucky to get out running today. Thank you Ben and Amy for watching Caitlyn while I ran. You guys rock! Felt pretty good out there today and moved pretty well during the second half of the run.

12/29 Wednesday: 11 miles in 76 minutes

Skiing in the morning with the munchkin. Then a nice solid run around Campton NH. Felt pretty good out there today.

12/30 Thursday: 10 miles in 72 minutes

Skiing in the morning with the munchkin. Then treadmill running with Heather at Latitiudes in Methuen.

12/31 Friday: AM: 12 miles in 88 minutes PM: 4 miles in 31 minutes

AM: Run with Heather, 5 miles easy, 4 miles at 6:20 (Heathers tempo run), 3 miles easy.

PM: Very easy running.

Fished the Year with 3185 miles. A lifetime best!

1/1 Saturday: 10 miles in 77 minutes

What a great morning for a run. Heather and I ran easy out towards the Crystal Lake area.

1/2 Sunday: 16 miles in 115 minutes

Long run up in Campton, NH. Ran with Heather for the first 12 miles then picked it up the last 4 miles going 6:45, 5:53, 5:37, 5:33. Felt OK today, but still pretty strong at the end.

Total Miles: 83 Miles

Training 12/20 to 12/26

2010-12-26T15:30:00.001-05:00

12/20 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Treadmill running at work.

12/21 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 70 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop. Had some solid middle miles where I was moving pretty good (6:20-6:30 pace) and the pace felt easy. It was nice to feel strong on a run.

PM: Treadmill running at work.

12/22 Wednesday: AM: 12.5 miles in 91 minutes PM: 4.5 miles in 33 minutes

AM: Running with Heather over to the Bradford section of town.

PM: Easy running in the snow! Felt good.

12/23 Thursday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Easy running with Jim Johnson and Heather. Ran out to the Crystal Lake area and back. Felt pretty good.

12/24 Friday: 11.5 miles in 81 minutes

Ran he first 4.5 miles with Heather out to Crystal Lake. I continued on to get in a few more miles. I did 6 x 20 second strides during the last couple miles of the run.

12/25 Saturday: 8 miles in 63 minutes

Merry Christmas! Easy running with Heather out to Crystal Lake and back. It was nice and quiet out there today.

12/26 Sunday: 13 miles in 93 minutes

BU Mini meet today. Did 3+ miles of warm up, raced 3k in 8:47, ran 5 miles, raced 1 miles in 4:36, warmed down about 2 miles. I ran a 3k PR (old PR was 8:56) today!!! Very pleased with the results today. Results

Heather also made her indoor 3k debut running about 10:40! Results for the third heat are very wrong.

Total Miles: 82.5 miles

Very solid week of running with some great results at the end of the week to keep me motivated. Putting in the work = results!

Training 12/13 to 12/19

2010-12-20T16:16:00.001-05:00

12/13 Monday: OFF

Work got out of control today and I was in no mood for the treadmill after work. Plus I am still sick, another day off might help.

12/14 Tuesday: 10 miles in 70 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill Loop. Felt pretty good running wise and a bit better health wise, but I still have this nasty dry cough that is killing me. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

12/15 Wednesday: 12 miles in 86 minutes

Treadmill running at home after work. Was feeling pretty good and cranked it down to around 6 minute pace for a few miles. With about 30 seconds left in my run disaster struck....I heard a loud crack and then on my next foot fall I felt like I was falling through the treadmill. I totally blew out the deck of the treadmill. Not a good time of year to have this happen....got to get it fixed right away.

12/16 Thursday AM: 10 miles in 73 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Ran with Heather this morning. It was a bit chilly out there!

PM: Treadmill running at the gym at work

12/17 Friday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen river trails. Actually felt pretty slow and heavy today. I just didn't feel good running today.

12/18 Saturday: 10.5 miles in 73 minutes

BU Mini meet today. Did a little more than three miles of warm up. Raced 3k in 8:58, ran another three miles, raced 1 mile in 4:37, then did another 1.5 miles cool down. I will write a brief race report later! Results

12/19 Sunday: 15 miles in 106 minutes

Nice day to be outside for a run. Felt pretty good for most of the run.

Total Miles: 70.5

A solid week of running, with a nice double track effort on Saturday, and even a day off.

Training 12/6 to 12/12

2010-12-12T19:33:00.000-05:00

12/6 Monday: 8 miles in 59 minutes

Ran the trails along the Shawsheen River. Feeling a bit better today, the sore throat has eased, but now my nose is running like crazy. I hope this thing is on its way out of my system!

12/7 Tuesday: 6 miles in 46 minutes

Treadmill running. There was no way I was going outside while still feeling sick.

12/8 Wednesday: AM: 9 miles in 62 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Run around the Concord NH area while my truck was serviced at Grappone Toyota. Felt pretty good today, still stuffed up, but not feeling bad. The run also went really good. I finished up the run with some miles in the low sixes.

PM: Easy treadmill running at home. Finally a good day of running!

12/9 Thursday: AM: 8.5 miles in 61 minutes PM: 4.5 miles in 36 minutes

AM: Running along the Shawsheen River trails up to the High School track.

PM: Easy treadmill running at home.

12/10 Friday: OFF

Work got crazy and I had no time to get in a run today. Still not feeling well either. It is taking me forever to get rid f this cold.

12/11 Saturday: 6 miles in 46 minutes

Easy running on the treadmill.

12/12 Sunday: 13 miles in 97 minutes

Cold and wet rub outside today. Ran with Heather over to the Bradford area of town. Felt pretty slow and heavy today. Still fighting this cold, I don't feel awful, but still have a nagging cough.

Total Miles: 60

Jay Carisella Track and Field Invite

2010-12-06T22:37:00.017-05:00

On Saturday December 4th I made my way down to Boston for the Jay Carisella Track and Field Invite at the Reggie Lewis Center. I had been looking forward to this race for a while and was thinking I would have a good shot at my PR (15:28) after some great training followed by a couple lighter weeks. Of course on Friday I started feeling like I might be getting sick, by Saturday morning I knew I was getting sick. But I was still thinking I might be able to put in a good race. After a 3 mile run out side I went back inside and hit the track for some more easy running. Once they called the 5k I found out I was in the second heat, seeded 4th. During the first heat I did some strides on the infield and took some pictures of the first heat.

Nate Jenkins and Ruben Sanca

Justin Fyffe

Patrick Rich (in Red)

Then it was go time! We got lined up and off we went. Everyone shot off the line and I was buried in the field of about 22-23 guys. The good news was I was on the rail, but I was boxed in so bad it was ridiculous. I spent the first mile just trying to be calm, hold my position and stay close to a solid pace. But I just felt like I was holding back a lot and kept having to slow up to avoid running over guys in front of me. I hit the mile in 5:02, not awful, but I wanted to be about 7 seconds quicker. Finally I got to the outside and started making my way towards the front. Over the next mile I picked people off every lap and I was finally running a pace that felt closer to my goal pace. By about the two mile mark I had made my way all the way up to 2nd place and I had gone through the two mile mark in 9:57 (4:55 mile). Now I was all alone in 2nd place and 1st place was a ways ahead and there was little chance I was going to catch him. At this point my legs actually felt OK, the bad news was I starting to have trouble getting air in as my congestion started catching up to me. I did my best to try to hold a solid pace, but my pace was slowing a bit. About half way through the third mile a guy caught up to me and passed me. I tucked in behind him a let him lead me around the track for the next four laps, passing 3 miles in 15:07 (5:10 mile) I then kicked it in for the finish passing the guy in front of me finishing second in my heat in 15:42. Not great, but it could have been a lot worse. I ended up 17th overall in the 5k out of 63 guys.

After the 5k heats finished I headed out for a nice cool down with some of the CMS guys including Justin Fyffe, Patrick Rich, and Jeff Goupil. It was nice to get out and get in a bit of running with those guys. Sounds like I may be seeing more of those guys at some of the up coming indoor meets.

Results

Training 11/29 to 12/5

2010-12-06T19:12:00.001-05:00

11/29 Monday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run. Felt good today!

11/30 Tuesday: 8 miles in 61 minutes

Ran with Heather out to Crystal Lake and back. Night run under headlamps.

12/1 Wednesday: OFF

A day off to relax and rest.

12/2 Thursday: 6 miles in 45 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen River trails.

12/3 Friday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Easy running. Not feeling so good, I think I am getting sick.

12/4 Saturday: 10 miles in 66 minutes

Ran 5k at the Jay Carisella Track and Field Invite. Warmed up 4 miles, raced 5k in 15:42, warmed down 3 miles. I didn't feel all that good for the race, I knew I was getting sick, felt way worse later Saturday night. I will post a race report soon!

12/5 Sunday: OFF

Sick. Lower legs are in rough shape too. That what I get for wearing spikes. No way I am running today. I am feeling pretty crappy and I need to get healthy.

Total Miles: 36 miles

The plan was for another low week and then a good race. The plan did not include getting sick and running a pretty bad race. Nothing I can do about getting sick, but I need to get healthy quick. Time to start putting in the work for next year!

Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race

2010-11-29T19:55:00.010-05:00

On Thursday November 25th, Thanksgiving day, Heather and I headed to Andover for the Feaster Five Thanksgiving Day Road Race. This was my first Feaster Five and I have been thinking about running this race for a long time. This is one of the largest Thanksgiving Day Races in the US attracting more then ten thousand runners total for the 5k and 8k. I decided to run the 8k, this race always attracts at least a few of the areas best runners, so a top three finish was my goal. After a 2.5 mile warm up I headed for the starting line. After breaking the world record for the most people saying "Happy Thanksgiving" at once and some final announcements and instructions we were off and running.

Right away Nate Jenkins went to the front and was on his way to the 8k win. The guy is a stud and there was no way I was going to try to chase him down. He was running his own race and then there was the rest of us. The first mile of this race is flat and then up for about a half mile to the mile mark. At this point the 5k runners and 8k runners are still all together. We hit the first mile in a solid 5:13 and Nate was out in front a bit and I had two guys right in front of me including Kevin Alliette and plenty of guys close behind. As we hit the 5k turn both of those guys in front of me turned and I was alone in second place in the 8k race. I had no idea what was going on behind me, but I was sure there were guys in the 8k race not to far behind. The goal for me now was to try to hang on to second place and put some distance on whoever was behind me. The second mile is still up for a ways then a down hill to a flat section. I tried to keep my eyes on Nate as long as I could and tried to keep the pace solid. I got to the 2 mile mark in 10:33 (5:20 mile) and could not hear anyone behind me. The next mile is slightly up hill for the first half before heading back down hill for the second half. I really should have been pressing more during this mile, but I think not hearing anyone behind me put me in a more relaxed mode. I even threw some high fives to a large group of kids cheering along the side of the course. A little ways before the three mile mark a spectator told me that third place was about 40 meters back. That woke me up a bit, and hitting three miles in 15:57 (5:24 mile) also got me going a bit faster. The next mile has a sharp short downhill and then its flat for a long ways. During this section the 8k runners join back up with the 5k runners and weaving in and out of the 5k runners who refuse to stay to the left side of the road was not fun. But getting cheered on by the 5k runners was also a plus! I pressed the pace a bit here thinking I could put more distance on third place and secure my position in second place. I hit the 4th mile in 21:04 (5:07 mile) and thought I should be all set in second place. The next mile has a slight downhill to flat section and then a pretty good last hill just to make the finish even more fun. I was still pushing the pace pretty hard, not wanting to have anyone surprise me in the end. Just before the the turn up the hill at the finish I was told that third place was 20m back! I then just took off, hit the hill hard and made sure I did everything I could to hold onto second place. I hit the finish line in 26:06 (5:02 almost mile) holding off third place by 10 seconds. Turns out third place was David Wilson, a runner from UVA, and a former Massachusetts two-mile champion (9:19 best). So I felt pretty good about my second place finish.

Not too long after my finish I got to see Heather also finish in second place in the five miler in a huge PR of 29:50! Awesome race Heather!!!

Results

Training 11/22 to 11/28

2010-11-29T13:24:00.002-05:00

11/22 Monday: 5.5 miles in 40 minutes

Very easy running in Andover.

11/23 Tuesday: OFF

11/24 Wednesday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Very easy treadmill running at home.

11/25 Thursday: 9 miles in 58 minutes

Ran the Feaster Five Road Race. Warmed up 2.5 miles, ran 8k in 26:06 for 2nd place, cooled down for 1.5 miles. Race report coming soon! Travel to CT for Thanksgiving dinner.

11/26 Friday: 8 miles in 60 minutes

Travel back from CT in the morning. Easy running out to Crystal lake and back. Feeling a bit tired and slow. Legs are tight!

11/27 Saturday: 8 miles in 59 minutes

Ran with Heather out to the Crystal lake area and Back. Felt OK, legs were still a bit tight, but not too bad.

11/28 Sunday: OFF

After a long day of travel and attending another social engagement I was pooped! Day off to recover from the Holiday weekend.

Total Miles: 34.5 miles

A very low week. I had planed on 1 day off, but I got two! This week and next week are planed low weeks to rest up and recover before I start putting in the work and miles to get ready for Boston in April.

Kingston Turkey Trot 5k

2010-11-24T13:31:00.008-05:00

On Saturday November 2oth Heather and I went down to the South Shore for the Kingston Turkey Trot 5k. I was looking for a race to do over the weekend and I wanted to do a 5k on Saturday to give myself more time to recover for a race on Thanksgiving. This was one of the few 5k options for the day and having prize money was also a major plus. So we decided to head for Kingston.

Once we got there we got our numbers and I perused the entry list for names I recognized. The only one that I saw was John Noland, a tough master runner that I have battled with for many years. After a warm up over the course, which is flat with a couple hills in mile 2, and getting myself ready to race we headed over to the starting line. At the starting line I still did not notice anyone I recognized, there were a bunch of High school guys, but I was starting to think that I maybe running by myself out there after a mile or so. This was not to be the case!

After some words from and instructions at the start we were off and running. As always the high school kids were out fast and into the lead right away. As we made our way down the first stretch of road I started making my way around them and towards the front. One little guy wasn't having it and each time I pulled up next to him he stomped on it. It was really pretty funny. Soon enough I was past the high schoolers and out in front with two other men. The first was John Noland and the other was a mystery to me, I later found out this was Marc Leblanc (a very accomplished runner from Natick). As we got close to the first mile mark John was breathing pretty heavy and I knew he would not keep the pace for much longer, Marc on the other hand seemed comfortable and his breathing was controlled. I was starting to think that I may have a race on my hands. We hit the first mile in 5:02. I pressed on and son I did not hear John anymore, but Marc was right on me. We soon made a right hand turn and started the pop portion of this lollipop style course. This section had a set of small hills that I thought I could use to my advantage. At the first hill I made an effort to push pretty good and soon felt a small gap open up, so I kept the pressure on and really hammered the resulting downhill and the next more significant up hill and down hill. Son I made a left hand turn back onto the main road and back towards the finish. I could no longer hear anyone behind me and I was thinking that I had just done enough work to break the guy behind me and win this race. I hit the two mile mark in 10:08 (5:06 miles) and thought that I had done a great job pressing and maintaining a great pace through the hills in the last mile. At this point I was thinking of the finish line and just getting there to wrap this thing up. About 4-500 meters later while making a right hand turn onto another road a course director says "nice job guys". I am first thinking "Thanks" then I was thinking "What? Guys? That's plural I am all alone.....(look over shoulder) .....oh crap!" Marc was no more that 5 meters back and I was now in panic mode. The first thing I did was start pressing again thinking I could get away from him.....that didn't seem to do anything. He was soon right on my shoulder. So I relaxed a bit and tried to collect myself now knowing that this was probably going to come down to a kick. We soon made a quick left and then a right onto the final 400m stretch of road. Just as we made that right hand turn Marc went by me. At this point I thought the race was over. I was not prepared for his move and could not cover it right away. Marc soon had a 5 meter lead on me and we could now see the finish line. I pressed to get back on Marc's shoulder just as we passed the 3 mile mark. I thought for sure the second I caught back up he would kick me down over the last 0.1 miles. But we hit the three mile mark and nothing happened.....there was no kick. So I just went for it.......I was not going to lose this race now after leading almost the whole way. So I threw down probably the ugliest looking kick ever. I was determined to get to that finish line first, I was swinging my arms as hard as I could as I raced to the now blurry finish line. I just kept going as hard as I could until I got across the line. I hit the finish line in 15:51, good for a 6 second victory. I guess all that effort to catch back up to me had taken the kick out of Marc, but I didn't take any chances as we went for the finish line.

Heather also had a good race finishing up in 18:12 and good for first place female!!

After the race a group of us including Heather, Marc Leblanc, John Noland, Wayne Alukonis, and myself went for a cool down. I got a chance to talk to Marc and he is a very nice guy with a great running resume. We realized that we have actually race each other quite a few time and have pretty close PR's. Word on the street is that he has just joined Whirlaway so I expect to see a bit more of him out on the USATFNE Grand Prix circuit.

Results

Training 11/15 to 11/21

2010-11-21T18:15:00.000-05:00

11/15 Monday: 8.3 miles in 60 minutes

Some easy running on the Shawsheen River trails. Felt good.

11/16 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 71 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill Loop. Felt very comfortable and smooth.

PM: Easy treadmill running after work.

11/17 Wednesday: 9 miles in 69 minutes

Early morning treadmill running.

11/18 Thursday: 8.3 miles in 60 minutes

Easy running on the Shawsheen River trails. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

11/19 Friday: 6 miles in 45 minutes

Easy running around Andover.

11/20 Saturday: 10.7 miles in 75 minutes

Ran the Kingston Turkey Trot. Warmed up 3.1 miles over the course, ran 5k in 15:51 good for first place, warmed down 4.5 miles. Race report to come soon!

11/21 Sunday: 13 miles in 96 minutes

Ran over to the Bradford area of town with Heather. I was feeling pretty heavy and slow today.

Total Miles: 70.3

Training 11/8 to 11/14

2010-11-14T16:42:00.000-05:00

11/8 Monday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Last run in Miami. Ran with Heather along the boardwalk and over to the shipping canal.

11/9 Tuesday: 11 miles in 77 minutes

Andover center run. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards the end of the run.

11/10 Wednesday: AM: 10 miles in 71 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt pretty good.

PM: Easy treadmill running.

11/11 Thursday: 10 miles in 75 minutes

Felt pretty bad today...... heavy and slow. Was going to do some tempo paced stuff but the legs were not having it. Maybe tomorrow.

11/12 Friday: OFF

I really did not plan to take the day off, but I was feeling tired and unmotivated. A good day to let myself recover a bit mentally and physically.

11/13 Saturday: 10 miles in 75 minutes

Easy running over to Winnekenni and did a loop around the lake. Felling much better today and glad I took a day off.

11/14 Sunday: 16 miles in 113 minutes

Should have been running the Seacoast Half Marathon today. The race sells out way to early and I was not able to get in even after talking to the race director. Very disappointing. Congrats to Bob Wiles on running a great race today....by himself! Wish I was there to help you along Bob!

Ran over to the Bradford section of town with Heather for the first 11 miles and then finished up with some solid miles over the last 5 miles. Last mile was a 5:38. Felt very solid. That day off did miracales!

Total Miles: 71 miles

For a week with 6 days of running I will take the 71 miles and feeling rested and recovered at the end of the week. Time to start getting ready for some races I have coming up in the next few weeks!

Training 11/1 to 11/7

2010-11-07T15:20:00.000-05:00

11/1 Monday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 9 miles in 63 minutes

AM: Easy early morning treadmill run.

PM: Easy running up to Andover center.

11/2 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 71 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop, felt pretty good.

PM: Easy treadmill run.

11/3 Wednesday: AM: 10 miles in 74 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Shawsheen River trails to the Bay Circuit Trail. 6 x 20 second strides towards end of the run.

PM: Easy treadmill running, legs felt a bit heavy and I felt slow.

11/4 Thursday: 9 miles in 60 minutes

Treadmill run. 3 miles of warm up then 2 x 2 miles at 5:30 pace with 400m rest. Then cool down up to 9 miles total.

11/5 Friday: 9.1 miles in 67 minutes

Running the Boardwalk along Miami Beach with Heather and Seth. Nice weather here!

11/6 Saturday: AM: 10.1 miles in 75 minutes PM: 4 miles in 32 minutes

AM: Running the Boardwalk along Miami Beach. Another great weather day!

PM: Easy running on the boardwalk.

11/7 Sunday: 15.1 miles in 110 minutes

Ran the boardwalk over to the shipping canal and over to across from the cruise ship terminals. Another great day for running down in Miami.

Total Miles: 91.3

A very nice week of running and a relaxing visit to Miami beach!

Canton Classic 10k

2010-11-01T22:17:00.006-04:00

On Sunday October 31st Heather and I made the drive down to Canton, Ma to run the Canton Classic. This was a last minute decision as Heather had planned on racing on Saturday and I was thinking I would just get in some miles over the weekend. Well the race that Heather planned on racing on Saturday never happened, and she still wanted to race. It doesn't take much to convince me to go to a race, so after some looking over the races on Sunday we decided to go check out the Canton Classic.

Upon arrival we had to park a good walk away from the registration area. It looked like this race had attracted a lot of runners and the good weather was certainly helping. After parking we packed up our running bags and made the walk up to the registration area. Even with all the people, registration was very quick. Heather registered for the 5k and I opted for the 10k. Soon we were back outside and ready to head out for a warm up. Heather and I did a 2 mile warm up on the side roads around the start/finish area and then got ready to race! Once over at the starting line there were quite a few fast looking guys, but the only one I recognized was Mike Griffin who has been running really well and I knew I would be in for a race if he was running the 10k. After a few more minutes of waiting we were off and running.

Mike Griffin went right to the front almost immediately, he was followed by myself and a few others. Soon Mike was really pulling away and I was soon alone in second place as we made our way through the mostly downhill first mile. Mike was looking fast and strong and still slowly pulling away from me on our way towards the first mile mark. At this point I was already thinking this race was over. Going through the first mile mark Mike had probably a 14-15 second lead on me. Much to my surprise I went through the mile in 5:01. This got me thinking Mike was either running the 5k or he was going out too fast. Not long after the mile mark Mike took the right hand turn at the 5k turn and I was alone in first place for the 10k. My first thoughts were relief that Mike was running the 5k and then it was thinking running by myself for the next 5 miles over this challenging course was going to be rough! I decided to give it a good go and see what I could do over this course. The next mile is still flat to down hill and I hit the 2nd mile in 10:01 (5:00 mile). At this point I knew for sure I would be alone for the rest of the race, and I knew that after all that downhill there were going to be some decent up hill sections coming up. Soon after the 2 mile mark I hit the first significant hill, still feeling good I pressed up the hill pretty strong and hit more downhill to flat all the way to the three mile mark 15:24 (5:23 mile). After the first three miles I had a good race going and thoughts of a fast time started entering my mind....but I knew there were more hills to come. Over the next mile I tried to really put in some effort and keep the pace fast through some rolling hills and flat sections. For the most part this mile was up hill but nothing to bad. I hit the 4 mile mark in 20:45 (5:21 mile). With 2.2 miles left I was on pace for a personal best.....but there were still more hills to tackle. The next mile was mostly flat for about a half mile, then the uphill began. The last part of this mile had three hills back to back to back with little to no rest between ups. I was pretty sure at this point that my fast time was going out the window. At the top of the very last hill I hit the 5 mile mark in 26:19 (5:34 mile). Not as bad as I had expected, the personal record was probably out of the question but I still had a quick time going. The last mile was flat to a very slight up hill and I tried to press the best I could to hold on to my good time. I never saw the 6 mile mark and before I knew it I was back close to the finish area and made one last drive for the finish. I was actually surprised to see the clock reading 32:30's as I made my way to the finish crossing the line in 32:37, only 4 seconds off my personal best!

I was extremely happy with this race. I was able to run a very good time, by myself, over a challenging course. The work I am putting in each week is starting to show at my races and it is keeping me motivated! Heather also won her race running the 5k in 18:06. Another great race for Heather who has been running very well! Mike Griffin ended up winning the 5k in 15:36.

Results

Training 10/25 to 10/31

2010-10-31T19:10:00.000-04:00

10/25 Monday AM: 8.3 miles in 61 minutes PM: 5 miles in 37 minutes

AM: Early run out to Crystal Lake and back.

PM: Easy running after work.

10/26 Tuesday: 10.5 miles in 69 minutes

Ran the Rattlesnake Hill loop. After an easy 4 miles I picked it up into a 5 mile progression run. Splits went 6:23, 6:09, 6:14 (big hill), 5:31, 5:20. Felt nice and strong.

10/27 Wednesday: AM: 11 miles in 81 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Easy running up to Andover center.

PM: Very easy treadmill running.

10/28 Thursday: AM: 5.2 miles in 39 minutes PM: 7 miles in 53 minutes

AM: Easy running on the Shawsheen River trails

PM: Night run with Heather.

10/29 Friday: 10.1 miles in 70 minutes

Run from Cedarland. Ran over to and did a lap around the Braford Valentine 5 mile course.

10/30 Saturday: 10.5 miles in 73 minutes

Run out to Crystal Lake area and back. Did 6 x 20 second strides during the end of the run.

10/31 Sunday: 12.2 miles in 78 minutes

Ran the Canton Classic 10k. warmed up 2 miles, then ran 10k in 32:37 for first place, warmed down 4 miles. race report coming soon.

Total Miles: 84.8

Great week of running and a nice race to top it off! Feeling good and hope to keep up the good training.

Great Bay 5k

2010-10-26T19:54:00.005-04:00

On Saturday October 23rd Heather and I went up to the Seacoast area of New Hampshire for the Great Bay 5k. This race was the last race in the Seacoast Series and was sure to attract some fast guys as it pays cash to the top three ($150, $100, $75) and has a very fast course. Upon arrival we met up with Jim Johnson, who of course was sandbagging with all kinds of talk about how he was sick, and couldn't breathe. He was saying he was just there to finish up the series and get his series jacket. Yeah right! We took a look at the entry list for the race to see if we noticed any fast guys. We didn't recognize any names and thoughts of a first and second place finish for Jim and I started to enter our heads. Another thing to consider was the Mackenzie Mile, which is a cash prize for the first person through the mile. In the end, it turns out we didn't need to worry about it.

After a warm up with Heather and Jim on the course we headed over to the starting area and soon we were off and running. Right away a guy decked out in a Navy racing kit (Nick Crowell) went right to the front followed by another guy in a white shirt (Jeffery Sprague). I did not recognize either of them and thought they may be just after the first mile bonus and I was not interested in going out fast and blowing up. I was more interested in a top 3 finish. Jim and I were right together as Nick and Jeff pulled away a bit. Nick hit the first mile in about 4:50 with Jim and I going through in about 5:01. At this point I felt Jim starting to fall off my pace and I was making up ground on Jeff who was in second place. This second mile has some small rolling hills and I caught up to and passed Jeff at about 1.5 miles. I was also now making up ground on Nick. I hit the second mile in 9:55 (4:54 mile) and was now only about 5 seconds behind Nick. Thoughts of both a fast time and a victory started creeping into my head. Soon after two miles we turned into a neighborhood and started up the biggest hill on the course. At this point I think Nick noticed me getting closer and picked it up. I could not match his move after pressing the second mile and he put some distance on me. At this point I was sure I was good for second place and still a fast time, I was still running quick, but not making up any ground on Nick. As I started getting close to the third mile I started hearing the footfall of someone coming up behind me. I never looked back to see who it was, I didn't know if it was Jim, Jeff, or someone else. All I knew was I needed to get a move on and hold off who ever it was. Its was all downhill from this point on and I just let it roll as fast as my legs would let me. I went through 3 miles in 14:58 (5:03 mile) and put in the best kick I could to secure second place. I covered the last 0.1 in 30 seconds finishing in 15:28 (A new 5k PR) holding off Jim and finishing second.

Heather also ran a great race finishing first in 17:44, beating the competition by more than a minute! In addition to the $150 first place prize she also won the $50 Mackenzie Mile bonus! Just awesome!

Article

Top 10 plus CMS in Blue

Place	Name	Age	City/State	Net Time	Pace
1	Nick Crowell	23	PORTSMOUTH NH	15:21	4:57
2	Chris Mahoney	32	HAVERHILL MA	15:28	4:59
3	Jim Johnson	33	SALEM NH	15:31	5:00
4	Jeffrey Sprague	27	PORTLAND ME	15:38	5:02
5	Erik Travis	26	LEE NH	16:23	5:17
6	Chris Ritchie	27	HAMPTON NH	16:29	5:19
7	Scott Clark	44	GILMANTON NH	16:54	5:27
8	Peter McNeil	26	BARRINGTON NH	17:11	5:32
9	David Harrow	26	GREENLAND NH	17:24	5:37
10	Jasmin Lepir	34	PORTSMOUTH NH	17:34	5:40

821 Total Finishers.

Training 10/18 to 10/24

2010-10-24T15:02:00.000-04:00

10/18 Monday: 9 miles in 67 minutes

Easy running along the Shawsheen river trails. Legs were heavy today, feeling the race and long run from the weekend.

10/19 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 72 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill loop, felt a bit better today.

PM: Treadmill run, just didn't feel like going out in the dark.

10/20 Wednesday: 10 miles in 72 minutes

Running the Merrimack trails with Jim Johnson.

10/21 Thursday: AM: 10 miles in 74 minutes PM: 5 miles in 38 minutes

AM: Easy running in Andover. Did 6 x 20 second strides towards end of the run

PM: Easy running from Cedarland in Haverhill

10/22 Friday: 7 miles in 52 minutes

Easy running, it was chilly out there this afternoon!

10/23 Saturday: 10.5 miles in 73 minutes

Great Bay 5k. Warmed up with Heather and Jim Johnson 3.2 miles, raced 5k in 15:28 good for 2nd place and a new road 5k PR!, and warmed down for 4.2 miles. Race report coming soon!

10/24 Sunday: 15 miles in 113 minutes

Long run at Franklin Park in Boston. Heather and I went down to get in a run and catch the Mayors Cup XC races. It was nice to get in some running on some soft surfaces and then catch some great XC action!

Total Miles: 81.5

Topsfield Cross Country Festival

2010-10-17T10:43:00.003-04:00

On a very windy and cool Saturday October 15th I headed over to Bradley Palmer State Park for the Topsfield Cross Country Festival. The was my first team race as a CMS member and I was looking forward to running and racing with the guys. After some confusion on how to get to the race starting area we finally pulled in about an hour before race time. I was actually the first CMS guy there and picked up the race numbers for the rest of the team. We had a very strong team there with Peter Mallett, Kevin Tilton, Ben Strain, Rich Patrick, Greg Putnam and myself representing CMS. This race is part of the USATFNE XC Grand Prix and I knew the field of runners would be strong. Among others in the field was Nate Jenkins and Matt Ely, two of the best runners in New England. My goals going into this race were to first score for CMS (top 5 on team) and second to place in the top 10 and win a pie! After meeting up with the guys we did a warm-up around the course and then it was time to race!

As the race went off Nate Jenkins went right to the front and was off on his own as expected. The rest of us kind of stayed bunched together in the strong wind. The group was led by Matt Ely and Colman Hatton from BAA followed by a bunch of CMS blue with Peter, Rich, Greg and myself right behind and many more right with us. We made our way around the first little loop and soon we were headed out for a loop up and over Moon Hill. I was feeling OK at this point, but I was not sure I had made a wise decision by going out so hard. As we made our way out towards the hill I was following Rich and just trying to stay comfortable. We hit Moon Hill and made our way up the single track trail. Soon we hit the field up top (around 2 miles in) and were on our way back down to the woods. Just a bit after hitting the woods and continuing our way downhill I moved past Rich and tried to press my way forward. Heading out again for a second loop up and over Moon Hill I could see Peter ahead and I could hear someone gaining on me. At this point I was just trying to keep things together and try to hold off who ever was behind me. I hit the bottom of Moon Hill and Ryan Place from GBTC had caught me and soon he went by me. I tried to go with him, but he was moving well and pulled away. I also noticed that Peter was coming back to me a little bit. Soon we were back in the woods and I made a hard charge on the down hills towards the finish area. Once back on the fields I was right behind Peter and making my way towards the finish. With about 200m left I pushed past Peter and made a strong charge for the finish line.......getting there in 27:02, good for 5th place over all and first CMS runner. CMS took the next two places with Peter Mallett and Rich Patrick finishing close behind me. CMS sealed the team win with strong finishes by our next two runners Kevin Tilton and Greg Putnam in 11th and 13th place respectively.

I was very happy with the results today. I not only accomplished, but exceeded my goals by finishing 5th overall and 1st CMS runner. I felt strong for most of the race and mixed it up with some very good runners. This was a confidence builder for sure. It was also great to win the team race with CMS winning over GBTC. I enjoyed running with the guys and look forward to more team racing in the future.

Results

Training 10/11 to 10/17

2010-10-16T18:00:00.001-04:00

10/11 Monday: 9 miles in 65 minutes

Easy running to Andover center. Did 8 x 20 second strides at end of run.

10/12 Tuesday: 10 miles in 73 minutes

Easy running on the Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt a bit sluggish today.

10/13 Wednesday: AM: 5.1 in 40 minutes PM: 11 miles in 77 minutes

AM: Easy running on the Shawsheen River trails

PM: Warmed up from Philips Andover's track 3.5 miles by running over to the Ward Reservation to the top of Holt hill and back, then I hit the track for 2 x 2 miles in 10:51 and 10:50 with 400m rest. Warmed down 3.25 miles on the roads around campus.

10/14 Thursday: 10.2 in 75 minutes

Run in the dark with Heather. Felt OK till Heather tried to drop me in the last mile!

10/15 Friday: 8.2 miles in 64 minutes

Treadmill running in the morning.

10/16 Saturday: 10.5 miles in 68 minutes

Today I wen over to the Topsfield Cross Country Festival. Warmed up 2.5 miles, raced 5 miles in 27:02 good for 5th place overall, warmed down 3 miles. Race went well as CMS took first place! Race report coming soon!

10/17 Sunday: 14.4 miles in 100 minutes

Ran out past Crystal Lake after watching the Patriots game. Felt pretty good and held a solid pace even after racing yesturday.

Total Miles: 78.4

A very nice week and a solid race. Just need to keep doing work!

Training 10/4 to 10/10

2010-10-10T20:53:00.003-04:00

10/4 Monday: 9 miles in 67 minutes

Easy running. The legs actually felt pretty good, just a bit tight in a couple spots.

10/5 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 72 minutes PM: 6.2 miles in 45 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill Road loop. Felt a little sluggish, but the time was quicker than I expected.

PM: Run with Jim Johnson in Haverhill. Did the Parsonage Hill loop. Felt good.

10/6 Wednesday: 10.5 miles in 75 minutes

Andover center run in the rain. Did 6 x 20 second strides. Felt OK. Almost got killed by a falling tree branch.

10/7 Thursday: AM: 13.2 miles in 90 minutes PM: 4.1 miles in 33 minutes

AM: 4 miles of warm up then 2 x 2.5 miles in 13:32 and 13:32 which is 5:26 pace. I did 400m easy in between. I then warmed down 4 miles.

PM: Very easy treadmill running

10/8 Friday: AM: 7.2 miles in 56 minutes PM: 6.2 in 48 minutes

AM: Very easy running along the Shawsheen River trails. Legs a bit heavy. Saw way too many snakes out there today. I hate those things.

PM: Easy running with Heather. We did the Parsonage Hill Loop. Great night for a run!

10/9 Saturday: 15 miles in 107 minutes

Ran around Kenoza and some of the back roads nearby.

10/10 Sunday: OFF (Hiking)

We took advantage of the beautiful day and went hiking in NH. We hiked 10+ miles up Mt Carrigan, my 41st 4000 footer. It was a good day!

Total Miles: 81.4 Running, 10 Hiking

Training 9/27 to 10/3

2010-10-03T15:51:00.001-04:00

9/27 Monday: 8.5 miles in 61 minutes

Treadmill run after work. Felt OK and the pace was solid at the end, but I still dislike the treadmill.

9/28 Tuesday: AM: 5 miles in 38 minutes PM: 10.1 miles in 71 minutes

AM: Easy running in Andover.

PM: Run from the Whirlaway with Jim Johnson.

9/29 Wednesday: AM: 5.1 miles in 39 minutes PM: 11 miles in 71 minutes

AM: Easy 5.1 miles on the Shawsheen river trails

PM: Workout with Jim Johnson at Haverhill High track. Warmed up 4.2 miles and did a few strides on the track right into 2 x 2 mile (goal 5:20 pace) with 400m rest. Went 10:40 and 10:39. Jim did he first one with me and did the second a bit quicker, maybe 10:15-20. Warmed down 2.7 miles. All continuous running.

9/30 Thursday: AM: 5 miles in 40 minutes PM: 9.3 miles in 70 minutes

AM: Very easy running, legs feeling OK after workout.

PM: Running the trails around Winnekinni. Legs felt pretty good!

10/1 Friday: AM: 4.3 miles in 35 minutes PM: 7 miles in 53 minutes

AM: Early morning treadmill run at home.

PM: Evening cemetery run, the legs felt a bit tired.

10/2 Saturday: 7.1 miles easy in 54 minutes

Easy morning run. Feeling a bit heavy and slow, but I kind of expected it after four double days in a row.

10/3 Sunday: 11.4 miles in in 79 minutes

Ran the Mike Donohue 5k in Georgetown MA. I did 3.3 miles of warm up, 5k in 15:46 good for 5th place, and 5 miles of cool down. I was pretty happy with this after a pretty big week of miles.

Total Miles: 83.8

Training 9/20 to 9/26

2010-09-26T19:32:00.000-04:00

9/20 Monday: 8.3 miles in 62 minutes

Easy running on the cemetery route. Legs felt a little heavy and tight!

9/21 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 73 minutes PM: 5 miles in 39 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill Road loop. Legs are feeling better than yesterday.

PM: Running in the dark around Haverhill High and local roads

9/22 Wednesday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

Easy running on the Shawsheen River / AVIS trails. Did 6 x 20 second strides during end of run.

9/23 Thursday: 12.5 miles in 84 minutes

Warmed up for 4.25 miles and then hit the track for 2 x 2 miles with 400m rest. Went 10:59 and 10:59 (goal pace was 5:30 per mile) and then did 4 miles of cool down. Legs felt good, but I was having some stomach cramping issues which made the workout a bit more difficult than I wanted.

9/24 Friday: AM: 5.1 miles in 40 minutes PM: 6.2 miles in

AM: Easy early morning run. Legs felt pretty good.

PM: Easy running on the power line trails

9/25 Saturday: 8 miles in 63 minutes

Easy running with Heather in Connecticut. Felt pretty heavy and slow!

9/26 Sunday: 10 miles in 70 minutes

Run with Heather in the afternoon. Started out easy and then picked it up. Last three miles went 6:40, 6:38, 6:17. Heather hung in there and had a good tempo run for herself!

Total Miles: 75.1

Training 9/13 to 9/19

2010-09-22T20:09:00.003-04:00

9/13 Monday: 8.4 miles in 59 minutes

Felt surprisingly good today. Thought I would feel pretty bad after spending 2 days hiking in the mountains.

9/14 Tuesday: AM: 5 miles in 38 minutes PM: 8 miles in 60 minutes

AM: Easy morning run.

PM: Easy running out towards Andover Center.

9/15 Wednesday: 12 miles in 82 minutes

4 miles of warm up, then 2 x 2 miles in 11:01 and 10:58 (goal was 5:30 pace), 400m rest in about 2minutes, 3.75 miles of cool down.

9/16 Thursday: AM: 10 miles in 74 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Easy run up to the center of Andover. Felt OK, the legs were a little heavy after last nights workout.

PM: Easy running in the rain with Heather.

9/17 Friday: 9 miles in 70 minutes

Easy running with Heather. Did the Jericho loop.

9/18 Saturday: OFF Hiked 19+ miles in the Presidential Range

Heather and I parked at the Pinkham Notch Visitors Center and took the AMC shuttle to the Appalachia Trailhead. We headed up to the summit of Madison and made our way across the ridge over Adams, Jefferson, Washington, and Monroe. The weather was awesome and the views were incredible. We ended the day hiking out past Tuckerman's Ravine and made our way out of the woods under headlamps. It was an awesome day!

9/19 Sunday: OFF

Rest and recovery from the day before.

Total Miles: 57.4

Solid week. Would have liked to get in more miles. But I was hurting pretty good on Sunday. I figured playing it safe and taking the day off was the right thing to do. The hike was awesome! One of my favorite hikes ever.

Friendly Kitchen 5k 9/10

2010-09-22T18:42:00.001-04:00

On Friday 9/10 Heather and I went up to Concord NH to run the Friendly Kitchen 5k. This is a relatively small race run on the NHTI campus and benefits the Friendly Kitchen in Concord, NH. I decided to run this race because I had not raced in a while and I felt like I really need to get in a hard effort. I figured that a smaller race would give me the opportunity to get in a good workout and to build back some racing confidence. Heather and I pulled onto campus at about 4:30 pm and hustled to get ourselves registered and warmed up for the 5:30 pm start. We ran over the 5k course for our warm up and then headed for the starting line. My plan was to run a strong tempo effort and increase the pace throughout the race. I was hoping this kind of effort would put me near the front of the race and put me in position for the win. After a few quick instructions we were off and running.

The race actually went out very controlled with a large group of guys right at the front. This included many runners from NHTI and other colleges in there conference. As we made our way towards the trails I was anywhere from 1st to about 5th as I just tried to keep a controlled consistent pace. As we got to the trail I made sure I was in the top three so that I did not get caught in traffic. We hit the first mile in 5:20 and the group had really thinned out as there were only three or four of us at the front. We made our way across the field and towards the road, just before the road someone went down right besides me, the runner who went down never finished the race. Once on the road I decided to pick up the effort a bit as we ran into the wind and towards the Delta Dental Campus on the other side of Rt 93. I opened up a gap pretty easily and soon I was on my own. I hit the two mile mark in 5:17 (10:37) and made my way through the root canal (tunnel on the Delta Dental Campus). I got a good look at those behind me at this point and I had a decent lead of maybe 15-20 seconds. I made my way back over Rt 93 and I was on my way back towards the finish line. I picked it up a bit more and made sure I kept my lead. I made the last turn into the quad and Coach Walton yelled me my third mile split of 5:14 (15:51). I kicked in in a bit and finished up first in 16:24.

Heather also took home first place in 19:02. Overall it was a solid run for both of us. I got in the hard effort I was looking for and felt very strong doing it.

Results

Training 9/6 to 9/12

2010-09-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

9/6 Monday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

Very easy early morning run. The only time I could sneak some miles in today.

9/7 Tuesday: AM: 10 miles in 74 minutes PM: 5 miles in 39 minutes

AM: Rattlesnake Hill Loop, felt OK, left hamstring feeling tight.

PM: Easy running around Philips Andover trails and fields.

9/8 Wednesday: AM: 8 miles in 60 minutes PM: 5 miles in 40 minutes

AM: Treadmill run.

PM: Easy treadmill run.

9/9 Thursday: 11.3 miles in 81 minutes

Easy running and 6 x 20 second strides

9/10 Friday: AM: 5 miles in 38 minutes PM: 9.1 miles in 63 minutes

AM: Easy running on the Shawsheen River trails

PM: 3 miles warm up, 3.1 miles in 16:24 good for first place at the Friendly Kitchen 5k in Concord, NH, 3 miles cool down.

9/11 Saturday: 6.7 miles in 49 minutes

Early easy run. Legs actually felt pretty good. Now its off to the whites for a hiking adventure, hitting Zealand and the Bonds! Hiked 8+ miles hit Mt. Zealand and into the Guyot Shelter. Caught Sunset from the summit of Guyot.

9/12 Sunday: OFF Hiking in the Whites

13+ miles of hiking. Hit Mt Bond, Bond Cliff, and West Bond. Saw a moose just after passing Zealand Hut on the way out. A great weekend of hiking with Heather and Ben.

Total Miles: Running: 64.1 miles Hiking: 21+ miles

A very good week of running and hiking. The hike was just awesome.... no words to explain the views and feeling of being in such a remote place.

Training 8/30 to 9/5

2010-09-05T19:42:00.000-04:00

8/30 Monday: 8.2 miles in 62 minutes

8/31 Tuesday: 10 miles in 69 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill loop. Felt OK, better towards the end of the run.

9/1 Wednesday: AM: 9.3 miles in 69 minutes PM: 4.8 miles in 36 minutes

AM: Trails along the Shawsheen up to Andover High, where I got a big surprise in the woods. I thought it was to hot out for that kind of outdoor activity, but these two seemed to be enjoying themselves. Did 6 x 20 second strides.

PM: Easy running from home.

9/2 Thursday: 10.4 miles in 73 minutes

Ran out to the Crystal Lake area with Jim Johnson, I felt pretty good.

9/3 Friday: 8 miles in 58 minutes

Easy running towards Andover Center. Did 6 x 20 second strides. Felt OK.

9/4 Saturday: 8 miles in 62 minutes

Awful run today. I was going to go long, but I felt pretty bad right from the start and I just turned around at 4 miles after things failed to get better.

9/5 Sunday: 10 miles in 65 minutes

Started out easy for the first three miles, then at the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 mile marks I did 1 minute hard. I also finished up the last two miles in 5:57 and 5:24. Felt good to run hard at the end.

Totals: 68.7 Miles

Solid week and a step in the right direction. Felt better towards the end of the week. Got to keep it up now.

Training 8/23 to 8/29

2010-08-31T23:30:00.000-04:00

8/23 Monday: 10 miles in 71 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill Road loop. Felt good today, the cool weather and misty rain were awesome!

8/24 Tuesday: AM: 8 miles in 58 minutes PM: 5 miles in 39 minutes

AM: Easy run up to the center of Andover, did 8 x 20 sec strides.

PM: Easy running in the rain with Heather.

8/25 Wednesday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

Rattlesnake Hill Road loop. Felt ok, the hamstrings felt a little tight.

8/26 Thursday: 5 miles in 40 minutes

Early morning treadmill run.

8/27 Friday: 10 miles in 74 minutes

I felt like crap today. I don't know why, yesterday was a short easy day and I was expecting to feel good today.

Note: Got pretty sick Friday afternoon and night.

8/28 Saturday: 8 miles in 59 minutes

Easy running out to Crystal lake. Big night tonight, I am the best man at my friends wedding! Time to have some fun!

8/29 Sunday: OFF

Recovery from wedding. Headed to Portsmouth for the air show. Nothing like trying to beat a hangover on a 110 degree tarmac with fighter jets screaming overhead.

Total: 56 miles

Not exactly what I wanted, but I will take it with no longrun and a day off. Next week will be closer to 70 miles. Then I need to stay up there for a bit.

Saunders at Rye Harbor 10k

2010-08-23T19:44:00.013-04:00

On Thursday August 19th Heather and I went up to Rye, NH for the Saunders at Rye Harbor 10k. Last year I ran Beach to Beacon 10k in 33:12 and then Saunders 10k (19 days later) in 32:46. I was 26 seconds quicker over the Saunders course, which I think is a faster course than the Beach to Beacon course. This year I ran 32:33 (a PR) at Beach to Beacon and now, 12 days later found myself again at the Saunders road race. Part of me was excited thinking that I had another shot at running a fast 10k, part of me was also thinking that my lack of running much over the last 5 weeks was going to catch up to me sooner or later. After we picked up our numbers Heather and I ran into Jim Johnson and soon the three of us headed out over the last part of the course for a warm up. After a quick change into racing gear we were all headed over to the starting line.

At the starting line I also noticed a couple other fast guys in John Mentzer (last years champion) and Tim Rider. Soon we were all off and running. Right off the start it was Jim, John and myself went to the front followed by a few other guys. By the time we hit the mile (5:08) it was just the three of us together. At this point the course is mostly flat with some very slight ups here and there, but nothing I would call a hill. As we approached the 2nd mile mark I was starting to realize that I was not having a good day, the legs were gone, and I was feeling slow and sluggish. Jim and John started to pull away and I soon hit the 2nd mile mark about 10 seconds back of them in 5:17 (10:25 total). At this point I knew I was not going to be able to run with Jim and John today, but I still figured I could grind out a decent time. I pushed the third and hardest mile of this course the best I could and could only manage a 5:34 mile (15:58 total). At this point I was told by a spectator that there was no one behind me, so I figured I must have had a pretty good lead over 4th place. At this point Jim and John had put a lot of distance on me and it looked like they had a great race going. The next three miles of running were pretty uneventful, I was running by myself I was hurting and just trying to finish the race up and stay in third place. The last three miles are downhill to flat and I figured I should be able to hang onto third place as long as nothing crazy happened. I managed to run 5:31 (21:29 total), 5:29 (26:58 total), and 5:35 (32:33 total) for miles 4, 5, and 6 respectively. I did take a peek back going around the corner to the finish and saw nobody, so I knew I was good for 3rd place. I finished up the last 0.2 in 1:10 for a total time of 33:43 good for third place.

I was not very happy with this result, but I kind of expected things to fall apart soon since I have been running little mileage over the last 5 weeks. This will serve as a nice little kick in the rear, if I want to race with those top guys I need to get out there and put in the work. Heather finished up her race strong in 39:27 good for 2nd place. After the awards it was off to the Portsmouth Brewery for some much needed diner and drinks.

Results

Jim and I enjoying a cold one after the race.

Training 8/16 to 8/22

2010-08-23T19:11:00.002-04:00

8/16 Monday: OFF

8/17 Tuesday: 5 miles in 39 minutes

8/18 Wednesday: 4 miles in 29 minutes

8/19 Thursday: 11.2 miles in 77 minutes

Saunders 10k road race. Did 2.5 miles of warm up, 6.2 miles in 33:43 good for 3rd place, 2.5 miles of cool down. Race report coming soon!

8/20 Friday: 8 miles in 68 minutes

Easy running on the Merrimack River Trail with Heather.

8/21 Saturday: 14 miles in 1 hour and 41 minutes

Easy running over to and around Kenoza. Had an old guy with a pick axe scare the crap out of me....he informed me not to worry...he was just digging up rocks! Then it was off to my good friend Ryan's bachelor party!

8/22 Sunday: OFF

Recovery day :)

Total: 42.2

Another not so good week of running. The wheels really feel like they have fallen off. The race on Thursday was not a really good follow up to my Beach to Beacon race from a couple weeks ago. Its time to step it up and get back to some real training again. Its time to get ready for some fall racing.

Beach to Beacon 10K

2010-08-16T13:36:00.007-04:00

On August 7th Heather and I went up to Cape Elizabeth Maine for the 13th Beach to Beacon 10k. This race is one of the biggest and fastest 10k road races in the world. The race attracts some of the fastest runners not only in the northeast, and the US, but in the world. I ran this race last year and had a blast, I was really looking forward to getting another chance to run this great event. Last year I ran 33:12 good for 44th place overall. I was actually pretty happy with this result as I had just got back to racing after a long layoff due to a hamstring injury. This year I wanted to be faster. I went in with three goals. The first to beat last years time, the second to run 5:18 pace (32:51), the third and my reach goal was to run a personal best.

After waking very early and making the long drive up to Cape Elizabeth Heather and I collected our race numbers and went back to the car to relax. The weather could not have been better for an August race, it was cool, the humidity was low, and there was a slight breeze. Soon it was time to warm up, we did two miles real easy, then threw on the racing shoes and headed for the starting line. Getting up to the front took some time, but we made it with plenty of time to spare and got to see the wheelchair racers go off. We also got to see and hear Joan Benoit Samuelson welcome all the runners to this event that she a large part in getting going.

Then it was time to race! The gun went off and I fought my way through the slower traffic that some how managed to get elite numbers. I actually did a much better job at this than last year and got myself into a good position early on. I tried to stay relaxed knowing that the first mile is fast and that I would get carried along by the large group of runners in front of me. I went through the first mile in 5:02, which was fast, but expected. The next mile I settled in and felt pretty good. I was still slowly passing a lot of guys and elite woman who got out quick in the first mile. I even remember passing marathon great Catherine Ndereba of Kenya at this point. Around this same time I hooked up with a pretty big group of younger, probably college aged guys. I would spend most of the rest of the race with some of this group. We passed the second mile in 10:24 (5:22 mile) a bit slower than I wanted but overall I was still in good shape thanks to a quick first mile. I was feeling pretty good still, but starting to wonder when it would all fall apart for me. Through the next mile the group of guys I was with started to get smaller as quite a few guys went off the back, it probably had something to do with the 5:06 third mile (15:30 overall) we were putting in. After a quick climb up a small hill we hit the 5k (half way) mark in 16:08. At this point I was really starting to feel it. I was thinking that maybe I had gone a bit to quick and that the rest of this race was probably going to hurt a lot. I was also thinking, I could still hit my goal of 32:51 if I just relaxed and ran 16:43 for the second half of the race. I was also thinking about the hilly section in the last mile that was probably going to hurt my chances of finishing near my goal. Over the forth mile the group I was with pretty much disappeared as guys fell off the pace and some picked it up. By the 4th mile (20:51, 5:21 mile) I was pretty much on my own and really just trying to concentrate on keeping my pace up and taking things one step at a time. I was just thinking about getting to the 5 mile mark, which I got to in 25:58 (5:07 mile). Thanks to some slight downhill in the 5th mile I was able to put together a quick mile and I was thinking that I would still have a pretty good shot at a good time if I could just survive the hills late in the 6th mile. The 6th mile hurt a lot. I really tried to get after it and push up the hills the best that I could, but I was hurting. By the time I made it to the top of the hills and made the turn into the fort I was toast. I had 3-4 guys blow by me as I headed towards the 6th mile mark. Which I hit in 31:31 (5:33 mile). At this point I did everything I could to run as fast as I could down the path to the finish, which was slightly downhill. I actually thought I might have a slight chance at my PR (32:34) if I could put together a good sprint to the finish. I hit the line not knowing what my time was....but I knew it was going to be really close to my PR. I would have to wait till the official results were posted.

After watching Heather finish we went for a cool down and then we headed over to the results board to see the official results. I finished in 32:33.7 good for 48th place and a new 10k personal best!!! I was pumped! I really didn't see this race coming out like this at all. I never thought I was even close to PR shape. I guess the miles from earlier in the year and the recent "rest" set me up for a strong run. Even better was learning that Heather also ran a personal best for 10K! So it was a great day for both of us out there.

Results

Article

I am at about the 1:30 mark.

Training 8/9 to 8/15

2010-08-15T13:54:00.002-04:00

8/9 Monday: 7.1 miles in 53 minutes

8/10 Tuesday: AM: 4 miles in 31 minutes PM: 7.1 miles in 54 minutes

8/11 Wednesday: 8.2 miles in 65 minutes

Running in Umstead State Park, a great place to run. I even saw a deer and an owl on my run. Ran some sections pretty hard....just because it felt good to push a bit.

8/12 Thursday: 9 miles in 70 minutes

Another early morning run in Umstead State Park. Still loving this place for running.

8/13 Friday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

Easy running from home with Heather

8/14 Saturday: OFF

8/15 Sunday: OFF

Went hiking with Heather. We did North and South Twin and Galehead. It was a great day to be out in the mountains!

Total: 40.4 Miles

Canterbury Woodchuck Classic 5k

2010-08-12T14:16:00.008-04:00

On Saturday July 31st Heather and I went up to Canterbury, NH for the 16th Annual Woodchuck Classic 5k. This was the final race of the CARS series and the goal was just to survive the race and hang onto 2nd place in the series. My legs were still killing me from Tuesday's Yankee Homecoming race, they were very tight and still sore in some spots. So I figured there was no use in trying to kill myself here and end up hurt. As long as I finished this race in a reasonable time I was going to finish 2nd in the series. After a 2.5 mile warm up with Heather is was time to head over to the starting line and get on with the racing. The only problem is the first part (100m or so) of the race drops off a cliff! The downhill is severe and I was really worried about how my legs were going to handle it. The immediate goal off the line would be to survive the downhill then get to the racing.

Soon we were off and running....well at least everyone else was. I practically walked down the first hill trying to make sure I kept my legs in one piece. By the bottom of the first pitch I was probably in 20th place or so. Once off the steep pitch I started making my way towards the front of the race. The first mile is still mostly downhill so my pace was pretty quick. I passed Scott Clark and Chris Apkarian and soon I was chasing down the leaders. I hit the 1 mile mark in 4:54 despite my very slow start and I was now with Tim Cox, Ryan Kelly, and MacKenzie Killpatrick was in the lead by another 10-15 meters. Soon after this we were on dirt roads making our way up a small hill and around a farm, that's when all of us at the front of the race got a surprise. From around the corner of a barn came a flock of sheep right out in to the middle of the road! MacKenzie out in the lead got by them as most of the sheep made for the side of the road and a few played chicken with him. Some of them were also startled and ran for it, mostly on the sides of the road, but a couple decided playing chicken with us was more fun. Only in New Hampshire! Once past the farm the dirt roads continued. As we were getting close to the 2 mile mark it became apparent that MacKenzie was extending his lead and that Tim, Ryan and I were going to be left to battle it out for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. We passed the 2 mile mark in 10:13 (5:19 mile) and soon the up hill fun began. We were all together at first, but soon Tim went off the back and Ryan and I pressed the pace to make sure we got away from him. Over the next mile of mostly up hill running Ryan and I went back and forth. We made our way towards the finish and up the final incline. At this point my legs were gone and I was just trying to get away from him any way I could. We hit the 3 mile mark together in 15:49 (5:36 mile) and I went for it. The only problem was there was not much of a kick left in me. Ryan covered my move and took off for the finish with a nice burst of speed, there was no chance I was going to catch him now. I hit the finish line in 16:22 (33 second 0.1 mile) good for 3rd place over all. Ryan finished in 16:18 for second, and Tim finished in 16:37 for 4th place. MacKenzie won the race in 16:09.

Overall I was happy with the race considering how bad my legs felt going into it. I kept 2nd place in the CARS series (winning $200) and didn't do any more damage to may already tight and sore legs. Heather ran a great race finishing first in a course record of 19:00. To bad she couldn't find one more second to get under 19 minutes!

Results

Yankee Homecoming 10 miler (July 27th)

2010-08-12T12:43:00.010-04:00

On the evening of Tuesday July 27th Heather and I went up to Newburyport, MA for the Yankee Homecoming races. Heather was running the 5k and I was running the 10 miler. I wasn't going to run this race, but once I heard the Whirlaway guys were getting together a team I decided to give it a go. Due to my recent issues with not running much because of my foot and my stomach I tried to keep my goals reasonable. First goal was to finish without making a bathroom stop, the second goal was to relax and put in a solid effort, the third and hardest goal was to try to maintain 5:30 pace and finish under 55 minutes. The last goal was one I was not sure I could obtain. After a short 1.5 mile warm up (because of traffic we were late) I was as ready as I was going to be. The weather was very hot so I opted for the shirtless Whirlaway uniform.

The gun went off and the race was on! I tried to keep things easy in the first mile, but I ended up going out a bit quicker than I wanted to. I deleted my splits by accident so my splits are from memory or estimates. I was hanging with Whirlaway teammates Brandon Newbould, Mark Hudson, and Jose Ortiz. We were all pretty close together for the first couple miles, the first going by in about 5:15 and the second mile in about 5:18. Going through downtown Newburyport I started to lose some ground on Brandon and Jose, I was also trying to keep up with Mark, but by about 3 miles I was starting to lose ground to all of them. My next couple miles were a struggle. My stomach was not to happy, and I was getting an awful acidic and heartburn feeling off and on. At this point Jim Johnson went by me and I couldn't react at all, soon after 5 miles (which I passed in about 27:20, 5:28 pace) Mike Quintal and Ryan Aschbrenner went by me. I continued to suffer till about the 6 mile mark with stomach and heartburn like issues......then they went away. Soon I was catching back up to those guys in front on me. I caught up to Ryan Aschbrenner, Mike Quintal and I think it was Joseph Ekuom. By about 8 miles I had passed all three and was pretty pumped that I was feeling good running hard. I could see my teammate Jose a ways up ahead and I was doing my best to keep focused on him and try to push up to him. Then I heard someone behind me, it was Mike Quintal who had made back up the ground I had put on him. I decided that at 9 miles I would try to get away and make a long surge towards the finish. At 9 miles I picked it up and Mike went with me for a little bit.....then I felt some space open up. So I pushed a little harder to make sure I put him away. Soon I was making my way onto the school grounds and onto the field for the finish. I held onto my position and finished in 55:13, good for 13th place overall (results). The Whirlaway team finished 2nd to CMS

I was disappointed that I am still having some issues with my health, but I was really happy that I rebounded late in the race, ran strong, and made up ground and even passed a few people. In the end I put 13 seconds on Mike in the last mile, which I was excited about because Mike is running really strong this year. Heather also ran a solid race finishing 3rd overall female in the 5k in 18:50 (results).

Article

Training 8/2 to 8/8

2010-08-11T08:35:00.001-04:00

8/2 Monday: OFF

Recovery from hiking.

8/3 Tuesday: 7 miles in 54 minutes

8/4 Wednesday: 8 miles in 59 minutes

8/5 Thursday: 5 miles in 38 minutes

8/6 Friday: 4 miles in 32 minutes

8/7 Saturday: 10.2 miles in 65 minutes

Ran the 13th Beach to Beacon 10k in Cape Elizabeth Maine. Warmed up for two miles, ran 10k in 32:33 (results) good for 48th place and a new PR!! warmed down for 2 miles. Race report coming soon!

8/8 Sunday: 10 miles in 75 minutes

Total Miles: 44.2

A better week of running, tried to stay rested up towards the end of the week for Beach to Beacon. All the rest (lack of running) the last few weeks has paid off I guess! A new PR is always a great thing. Time to get back to running more if I want to run a marathon this fall.